Sunshine
by talkstopaintings
Summary: They say absence makes the heart grow fonder. But Anna doesn't know what to do now that Elsa's back in her life. Or rather, now that she's back in hers. [Modern AU, eventual incest]
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: **At long last I finally found the time to develop this story in a fully-fledged one. The premise of this is based off a series of prompts I originally wrote on my tumblr called "Loser." Someone asked me if I would ever turn it into its own story because they liked the concept so much that they wanted to see it fleshed out. At the time, I didn't have any hope of turning it into a fully-fleshed fic, but after going back and forth with my beta I finally managed to scrape things together and here it is!

Of note, is that things deviate somewhat from the original prompts, which you can find on my tumblr and which will eventually be uploaded to FFNet, along with all my other work. I'll be updating this story along with my other one so don't worry about that! For now, enjoy!

* * *

_The other night, dear, when I lay sleeping_

_I dreamt I held you in my arms_

* * *

"And so I said to the guy, yes I _totally _have a packet of cigarettes and beer under my seat! I mean, it's not like there's other places to look. Pfft, the trunk? Who cares. It's right under my seat sir! There's plenty of space there! Would you like me to show you? I could—"

The snore to her left abruptly cut her off.

Anna paused mid-gesture, turning in her seat to blink owlishly at her companion. The middle-aged man was slacking in his seat, business suit ruffled from fidgeting in his seat, head tilted back and mouth open. Drool leaked from the corner and she would have been disgusted if she herself didn't do the same thing while she slept. His tie was loosened around his neck too

_Well, he was tugging on it a lot._

She bit her lip and her hands twitched. Her companion snored again, even louder, and she sighed. Her shoulders dropped and she slumped back in her seat, crestfallen.

_Great job Anna. You completely bored him to death. He was so uninterested in your rambling that he fell asleep._

She turned to glance out the window and frowned. The sky was still dark outside. There wasn't a hint of dawn on the horizon. The sun had settled a long while back and she could see the faint twinkle of stars among the cold wreath of clouds. They provided the only light source on this night and it made something in her ache at seeing thousands and thousands of white-blue dots surrounded only by stretches of indigo blue and gray.

_Just a little bit longer, I guess._

Her flight had been delayed twice. She had been forced to sit in the airport for several hours—on the ground and back against the wall, cross-legged. Her duffel bag and suitcase had been by her feet as she waited for the plane to arrive, trying and failing—what a surprise—to reassure her family about her predicament. Her aunt, uncle, and cousin had been at their wit's end, nearly tearing their hair out at the possibility of her waiting for so long. Her aunt had said that perhaps they could have tried another flight, or even another day. None of them knew when Anna would actually get on her plane, but she had insisted.

"_The ticket's already paid for Auntie! Besides, it can't be too long now? They've got good service. You saw the reviews! This is all just some, you know, creepy occurrence."_

Anna had nearly kicked herself when her choice of wording had made her aunt and uncle even more worried. It had taken Rapunzel's loving, but firm, patience to convince them that Anna was right. She had smiled, joked, and given them one last ramble of comfort before ending the call.

Her smile had been wiped the moment she pressed "end."

They had always been a very worried trio of relatives, thanks in no small part to the things Rapunzel had suffered through in her childhood.

_And then they got saddled with me._

Anna pressed her head against her seat, eyelids fluttering shut now and then, unable to stand still. Her stomach growled and she mentally cursed. The delayed flight had meant she hadn't eaten in hours. She had held onto the cash her uncle had given her, clinging to it tightly in her pocket, desperate not to let anything happen to it. They had told her to use it if she was hungry and for other emergencies, but Anna hadn't spent an ounce of it the minute she had waved goodbye to them.

_I'm going to pig out the minute I finally get there._

Which was, unfortunately for her, still a couple of hours away.

Anna sighed and leaned her head on her shoulder, eyes closing halfway. Taking a flight from the east coast to west had seemed impossible at first.

_Especially with my track record._

But she had somehow managed to keep her head afloat the past several years, landing her first degree at a nearby two-year college and managing a job at the local ice cream shop. Her uncle had said if she got accepted into a college out of state they would pay for half her tuition.

Anna had declined and said that the only thing they needed to pay for her was her ticket. She had burned through her shoes, greeting people day in and day out with a bright, cheeky grin on her face, dressed in a gray-blue polo shirt with black slacks, a hat, and an apron that threatened to be covered in a Neapolitan blend every time a child was dissatisfied by their serving size. She had ripped her hat off her head so many times and stomped on it that her manager had threatened her with cleaning duty if she didn't try and contain her fiery outbursts.

_Thank god I'm done with all that. _

She had scraped her money together, invested in loans, aimed for a scholarship—as many scholarships as she could get!—so she could attend college on the west coast.

_And even after all that, Auntie still said they would pay for half my tuition._

Anna curled up on her seat, wrapping her arms around herself, and closed her eyes for the rest of the way. The roar of the engine was effectively lulling her into a doze, pulling the exhaustion from her limbs and leaving her with a monotone lullaby to listen to. She inhaled deeply, tugging her jacket close and snuggling into her seat. The sound of people whispering around her, tapping away on laptops, or snoring like her companion next to her, faded away.

_Just a little bit longer. _

Her body felt heavy. The hours of trying to keep a smile on her face as she waited by herself left her bereft of any energy.

_I'll take five. Just shut my eyes for a bit. _

Anna cracked one eye open and glanced at her watch. The neon glow told her it was 1:25. She still had around an hour and a half before the plane reached its destination.

_Yeah. Just five minutes._

Yawning, Anna brought her legs up and curled as tightly into a ball as she could. The engine, the people, all of it faded away from her senses, until only the long stretches of dark blue sky were left.

* * *

"—arriving at our destination in—"

Anna jerked awake, eyes blinking sleepily. She felt the warmth held in her arms leave her abruptly; her dream disrupted from the unanimous murmur of restless people waiting to land.

She turned her head to the window, dimly aware that drool was leaking at the corner of her mouth and that her hair was disheveled. Light was peeking out on the horizon and she could see the ocean in the distance. The dozens and dozens of tiny, twinkling stars glowed less brightly now, obscured by the coming of dawn. She glanced at her watch, unfurling her hand from its resting place nestled under the crook of her arm.

_Almost 3. That means—_

They would be landing soon!

Anna shot up in her seat, startling the businessman next to her. He snapped his head in her direction, eyes wide.

"O-oh! S-sorry," she stammered, and brushed her hair back, wishing she had wiped away the drool on her face earlier, "I, uh, got excited. You know, landing and all!" Anna laughed, the giggle high-pitched and forced. When he quirked an eyebrow at her, dead silent, she avoided his gaze and mumbled, cheeks heating up, "Just moving jitters."

At that, he seemed to take pity on her. The older man softened, his furrowed brow disappearing. He coughed and looked ahead, watching the front of the plane as people began to shuffle in their seats, excited at the prospect of landing soon.

"Moving jitters huh?" he said, though the distant tone of his voice gave Anna the impression that he wasn't that interested in small talk.

Still, she nodded and replied, "Yeah. Came in from the east coast. It's my first time being out on the west coast actually, so I guess I'm a little antsy heh."

At that he turned to her and raised an eyebrow as he said, "Oh came from the east huh? Big move there." Then he frowned and added, "Wait, by yourself? Came all the way out here by yourself?"

Anna gave a short chuckle and then swallowed, fingers clutching the material of her jeans. "Yeah. Uh, I applied to some universities out of state." She bit her lip and glanced out the window again, the hair on the nape of her neck prickling. "Got accepted into my first choice so here I am."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him stare at her, dark eyes looking her up and down. Confusion settled on his features as he grunted. "Look pretty young to be out by yourself."

_Not like I know any other way._

Anna dug her teeth into her bottom lip and resisted the urge to tug on one of her braids.

"Dorming there?"

Her breath caught in her throat. She watched the ocean grow closer.

After a long second, she turned back to him, flashing a pearly-white grin. "No, I'm moving in with my sister."

"Oh," he said, eyes widening slightly. He blinked at her before turning back to stare at the front, nodding. "That must be nice."

Her grip on her jeans went knuckle-white. Anna clenched her jaw and looked back out the window, forcing cheer in her voice. "Yeah."

The minutes ticked by and she fidgeted in her seat, biting her lip and listening to the growing chatter around her. She brushed back her hair, fingers lingering on her right temple. The intercom sprung to life once more and she looked up.

"Ladies and gentlemen, prepare for landing. Please remain buckled in your seat and turn off all electronics. We will—"

_Finally!_

Her energy jumped ten levels. Anna beamed and fiddled with her seatbelt before blushing slightly when she noticed it was still fastened around her. The older gentleman next to her raised an eyebrow and she laughed once, rubbing the back of her neck. The heat crawled over her cheeks and down her nape. Her stomach twisted in embarrassment.

_Stupid, stupid, stupid. Settle down. Just a little longer. Didn't working teach you anything?_

Anna pursed her lips and slumped back down in her seat, trying not to tap her foot against the floor.

"Moving jitters."

She tensed, glancing at him. He smiled slightly at her and nodded.

"I get that. I was just as nervous the first time I had to fly out of state."

Anna felt her nerves loosen. She cupped her hands together, muttering, "Well it's not the first time I've flown before. I just haven't done it in a while. And not such a big distance either."

He laughed and she relaxed further, a genuine smile curling on her lips. Around her, the chatter dulled to a murmur as people settled back into their seats, awaiting landing time.

"Well, at least you'll be with your sister soon." He grinned at it her and she returned it happily. "When I was first flying out, I had to _leave _my wife. It was torture those first few days."

Her smile faltered. Anna blinked a few times. "Ah, right." Her stomach twisted and she bounced her legs, trying to distract herself.

_My sister. _

The comment unsettled her so she was glad when she felt the airplane shift. The older gentleman turned away from her, oblivious to her discomfort. Below her feet and in her stomach, she felt the pull of gravity. Anna pushed herself back into her seat, muscles tensing once again as they began their descent. She stared out the window, heart jumping in her throat.

_It's okay Anna. It's just like a roller coaster._

The airplane dipped farther down and she watched the buildings grow closer, the runway coming into view.

_I'm gonna be sick._

Ten minutes later and she was stumbling onto the airport. The smell of disinfect, leather, and smog assaulted her nose. Anna huffed and ran a hand through her hair.

"Alright, show my papers, grab my luggage, wait for—" she inhaled sharply, clutching her documentation tightly in her hand. "F-for Elsa to pick me up and then we can go home."

_Home._

She blinked at that.

_This will be home from now on._

In just a little while she would be on the way to her new home. In just a little while she would be seeing her sister again. The thought made her swallow hard. Anna shifted in place before heading over to the luggage disposal, looking out for her yellow duffel bag and suitcase. Her eyes darted over each luggage, fingers crinkling her papers slightly and her free hand gripping her phone tightly. The people bustled around her, grabbing their own things off the ramp and leaving. Her stomach coiled tighter and tighter as the contraption spun.

_Oh god, what am I going to say to her?_

The hair on the back of her neck rose and she hunched in place. The air conditioned building lowered several degrees in temperature and she pulled her jacket closer. It wasn't as cold as New York, but she felt disconnected from the crowd around her. Everywhere she looked, people were with _other _people. She saw a few parents with their young children, helping them grab colorful backpacks and taking their hands, leading them to the exit. A group of girls around her age were huddled together, excitedly chattering while they waited for their things to come around. Even those by themselves had their phones to their ears, speaking to someone on the other end, ready to return to warm, inviting arms or a well-deserved meal and bath. She felt like she was sixteen again, small and alone in the airport, waiting for her relatives to pick her up.

_Stop being such a baby Anna!_

Anna shook her head and squared her shoulders. A flash of dark green and yellow caught her eye and she jumped forward. "Gotcha!" She grabbed her duffel bag and suitcase, dragging them off the ramp and grinning triumphantly. "Finally, now I just need to go through documentation and I'm out of here!"

_And then—and then Elsa!_

God, what did her sister even _look _like now? Anna hadn't seen her in over a year. _I wonder if her hair is still the same. Maybe she dyed it. _She snorted, immediately dismissing the thought as she slid into line. _Yeah right Anna. Elsa's nothing like you. Good girl Elsa would never dye her hair. She probably keeps it in the same style everyday._

The redhead reached up and subconsciously tugged on the white streak in her hair. She couldn't keep still. Every time someone moved up in line, she fidgeted in her spot. Her hands shifted her papers first, eyes skimming the information to make sure it was correct for the seventh hundredth time. She chewed on the inside of her cheek as she neared the end, biting down harder than she intended to when someone bumped into her from behind.

"Sorry," Anna stammered and the person just grunted. Her cheeks turned red and she ducked her head. She inwardly cheered when one of the employees cried out "Next!"

Anna rushed forward, practically shoving her papers into the woman's hands from her relief and nervousness. Smiling at her politely, the employee—_blonde, _Anna cursed herself for her luck—scanned her papers and tapped away at her keyboard. It only took a few minutes, but by the time it ended her knees were shaking. She nodded and squeaked her thanks to the woman before scurrying off, shifting her bag higher onto her shoulder and dragging her case.

When her feet finally stepped onto the exit of the airport, she inhaled deeply and managed a tiny grin. It was still dark outside, but the street lights lit up the cityscape in an orange, nighttime glow. The sight of tall buildings and cars, with the scent of gasoline in the air, relaxed her.

_No more airplanes for me! No more hour long waiting in cramped seats and overpriced food! _

Anna's grin grew wider and she walked forward, looking around excitedly.

_Just a skinny blonde I haven't seen in forever._

Immediately, her hands dug into her pocket and she dialed her aunt's phone rapidly. New York was three hours ahead, the time just shy of six o'clock over there. They would be waking up just about now. She pressed the device to her ear, teal eyes scanning the moving crowd around her, looking for a slim, pretty blonde young woman as she waited for her aunt to pick up.

The phone had barely run once before her aunt's tired, but hopeful voice broke through. "Anna?! Did you arrive yet? How are you sweetie? Is Elsa there?"

Anna laughed, brushing a lock of hair back and resting against the wall. Warmth pooled in her stomach at the obvious concern in her aunt's voice. "Yeah, yeah, I'm fine Auntie." She pushed her phone as close as she could, the distant sound of her cousin and uncle shouting, "Anna?! Is that Anna?" filling her ears. Her grin widened and she blinked back a stray tear, raising a fist to rub stubbornly at her eye. "Elsa's not here yet. At least, I haven't seen her. B-but I'll find her soon! Don't you worry, I'm alright."

_I'll be alright when I see Elsa. _

They talked for a few minutes more before she hung up, promising her cousin she would text her a message later when she got home safely. Anna eventually moved off the wall, still looking everywhere for the familiar sight of her sister. Well, sort of familiar. Her eyes tracked every blonde she saw, watching for the light, light gold of Elsa's hair.

_I wonder how much she's changed since last time._

A sign caught her attention. Anna stopped mid-step, eyes widening when she read over the letters.

_"Anna Arendelle."_

Her mouth dropped open and she blinked rapidly at the tall, muscular blonde man holding it. He didn't even have to hold it up that high considering he was taller than everyone else around him. His brown eyes were glancing over the room, searching. She stiffened when they landed on hers.

_Wait, what? Who's this guy?_

Recognition dawned on his face and he walked toward her, shoving the sign under his arm. A relieved expression overtook his features and he waved at her. She relaxed at that and moved forward to meet him, a tentative grin on her lips.

_Oh, okay. He seems friendly. He's probably with Elsa actually!_

That meant her sister was near. With that thought in mind, Anna bounded toward him, luggage case wheels squeaking noisily along the floor.

"Elsa's sister right?" he asked the moment she stopped in front of him.

She only came up to his chest, but she smiled at him all the same. Her freckled cheeks puffed up in joy as she gave him a toothy grin. He held out his hand and she took happily, letting go of her suitcase, and firmly shaking it several times. He cringed when she squeezed too hard and retracted his hand, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Sorry," Anna blushed and fiddled with the end of a braid, looking down at her shoes. "Don't, uh, don't know my own strength sometimes."

The blonde man grunted and crossed his arms. "Kristoff Bjorgman, Elsa's friend."

She tilted her head, blinking. "Friend?"

_Woah, Elsa has a friend? Since when?_

Her sister had never been one for company.

A stone dropped in her stomach and she shoved her hands into her pockets, rocking on the soles of her feet. "Are you her boyfriend?"

He blanched, eyebrows shooting up to his hairline. "I- what?! No, no!" The twisting in her stomach uncoiled slightly at his visceral reaction to her question. "We're just neighbors and _friends_," he said, stressing the last word. "We live in the same apartment complex."

"Oh!" Anna grinned again and switched her weight to the tiptoes of her feet. Unconsciously, she removed her hands from her pockets and brought them to her chest, beginning to bounce "Well then that makes us neighbors as of today too then! Hi Kristoff! I'm Anna! It's great to meet you."

Inwardly, she was horribly glad to hear the tall blonde man wasn't her sister's boyfriend.

_Especially since it meant she would have never mentioned anything at all about having a boyfriend._

Kristoff looked her up and down, one eyebrow still raised. Then he shrugged and turned around, heading in the direction of the exit. "Nice to meet you Anna. Now come on, my car's parked out in the lot."

Her hands, which had been clasped into excited fists, dropped to her sides. This time it was Anna's turn to raise her eyebrows. She glanced around, brow furrowing as she noted the distinct absence of another blonde.

"Er, wait, where's Elsa?"

Kristoff stopped and looked over his shoulder. "At her workplace. Where else?"

The roar of cars driving beyond them, the chatter and bustle of people around them, the trickling tremor of excitement that had been building in the base of her spine ever since she got off the plane—it all stopped.

Her fingers twitched. Her spine slowly stiffened until she was sure it was impossibly straight. Anna swallowed, blinking several times. She forced down the lump in her throat and managed to say, "Work? S-she's not here?"

_You have to be kidding me._

Kristoff's face softened a bit at the look in her eyes. He coughed and rubbed the back of his neck, obviously awkward. "Uh, yeah. She was running late today again so she asked if I could do her a favor to come pick you up. She should be home by the time we get to her place. You'll see her then."

Anna shuffled her feet, staring at the tiled floor. "She got my message about my flight being delayed right?"

He nodded. "Yeah, but she didn't want to take the chance of you waiting without someone being there for you so she asked me to do it." She heard him blow through his nose, forehead creasing in frustration. "Look, you're probably weirded out about some guy coming to pick you up out of nowhere without seeing your sister, but she should be done soon." He shrugged helplessly and she lifted her gaze, peering at him through her bangs. "By the time we get there, she'll probably be waiting for you."

_I would have been fine to wait for her __**here.**_

Anna fisted her hands into the pockets of her jacket, shoulders tensing. "How do I know you're really her friend?" He snorted and she reached down to grab her suitcase. "How do I know you're not going to mug me the minute we leave? I mean, she's never told me anything about you." _Although it's not like she's told me much at all. _She bit her lip, trying to ignore the stinging behind her eyes. "I've never seen a picture of you before and she's never mentioned anyone in her calls."

Kristoff rolled his eyes and sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. She stayed where she was, feeling awkward and out of place. After a long pause, he fished into his back pocket and pulled out his phone. Anna's heartbeat quickened.

Kristoff brought it to his ear, glancing at her for a second. "Hey, Elsa?"

Her heart skipped three beats and jumped in her throat, hanging there. She, faintly, heard the timbre of an achingly familiar voice.

"_Kristoff? What's wrong? I thought—"_

Kristoff turned away from her and she glared at his back, heart sinking into the pit of her stomach. She scuffed her foot against the floor as he grumbled over the phone with her sister.

"It's your sister. She thinks I'm going to mug her or something. Since you're not, you know, here."

Anna puffed out her lower lip, face reddening. Wetness burned at the back of her eyes as the two continued talking. She played with the cuffs of her jacket, staring down at a smidge of dirt on the floor.

_She couldn't have called me instead? I would have gone with him fine if she told me before, but—_

But Elsa and her did not have the greatest relationship with each other.

She had practically sunk into the ground by the time Kristoff turned back around and approached her. Anna jerked her head up, blinking at him. He held his phone out, brow creased.

"Here. She wants to talk to you."

"Oh!" Anna swallowed thickly and grabbed his phone, all but tearing it from his grip. He raised an eyebrow at her, but a tiny smile quirked on the edge of his lips when she mumbled a quiet, "Thank you."

Her heart pounded in her ears and her fingers shook as she pressed the phone as close as physically possible. As if she was trying hard to be nearer to her sister in whatever way she could, after so long of not seeing her.

"Elsa?" Anna whispered.

There was silence for a moment and then—

"_Hi."_

She could see the barest hint of the rising sun beyond the large glass windows of the airport.

Anna smiled, lips quivering. It had been so _long_ since she had heard her sister's voice. The sole word was enough to make her heartbeat race. "Hi me," she mumbled, before blushing furiously and stammering, "I-I mean hi! Hi you!" She brushed her hair behind her ear. "How are you?"

She heard the sound of papers being shuffled, Elsa muttering to someone before her sister answered.

"_I'm about to get off work soon. I should be there when you arrive."_

Anna sighed, a small tremor running down her spine from the soft tone washing over her.

"How long until I get to see you?"

She couldn't resist asking. She couldn't stop the hope bubbling in her chest. She tilted herself on her toes, swaying back and forth unconsciously. She couldn't hold back the torrent of emotion welling inside her. It always happened whenever she heard her sister. The last time she had seen Elsa had been over a year ago, on her birthday. And _that_ had been a quick and unfulling visit.

So she couldn't resist asking, at nearly 3:30 in the morning, even when she heard the tired sigh on the other end.

"_I don't know. But I'll be there._"

Anna's grip tightened on Kristoff's cell phone. Her stomach twisted at the edge in her sister's voice. She could feel the blonde man's eyes on her and she turned her body even farther away from him, heat creeping down the back of her neck.

"O-okay. So, right. I'll see you soon?"

"_Yes, I'll see you soon. Don't worry about Kristoff. He's dependable. Besides, we live in the same apartment so you might as well get used to seeing him."_

Anna nodded, before remembering Elsa couldn't see it. "Sure! Right, of course." Her teeth dug into her bottom lip again and she played with one of her braids. "So, um, goodbye."

She inwardly cringed at her own words.

_I thought I was done with saying goodbye._

Elsa didn't seem to notice anything off. _"Bye."_

Anna swallowed thickly, the lump in her throat catching because of the short reply. She was about to turn off Kristoff's cell and hand it back to him when—

"_Oh, and Anna."_

Her fingers couldn't bring the phone back up to her ear fast enough.

"Yeah?!"

She could hear a deep sigh being uttered on the other line.

"_I'm sorry I couldn't come pick you up myself."_

She sniffed. Tried not to. Felt her throat clog up and her eyes sting. She clutched her jeans with her free hand, trembling in her shoes.

_Get over it you big baby!_

Anna coughed, "No, no, it's fine. I understand. You were busy."

She heard Elsa inhale on the other end and hope sparked in her chest again.

"_Alright. I—"_

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the barest hint of light in the sky.

"_What? Oh, sorry, yes of course sir. Right away. I'm sorry Anna, I have to go now."_

Anna's eyes widened. "Oh! I—"

There was a short click.

"—love you…" Anna whispered.

Slowly, she lowered her hand. Feeling eyes on her, she turned around and saw Kristoff looking at her. He had his hands shoved into his pockets and he shifted his weight, looking noticeably awkward again. The blonde man coughed, shrugging.

She laughed and prayed it didn't sound hollow.

"Here," Anna said, holding out his phone. "Thanks and, uh, sorry to keep you waiting."

Kristoff looked between her hand and her face, frowning. Anna refused to look away, teal eyes staring him dead on.

After a moment he sighed and stuffed his phone back into his pocket. "No problem. Now come on, I'll get your suitcase."

* * *

The drive out of the airport was filled with silence. It was only after they had gotten onto the freeway that Anna turned away from the window and looked at Kristoff.

"When did you two meet?"

He blinked, shooting her a quick look. "Oh, me and Elsa?"

Anna nodded, twiddling her thumbs. "Yeah. I mean, she never mentioned anything about you."

_Though she didn't really mention anything about anyone._

He shot her another unreadable look and she ducked her head, mentally cursing her lack of subtlety. Her cheeks burned with embarrassment. A chuckle made her lift her head.

Kristoff shot her a half-smile, glancing back at the road. "We met about a few years back, when she first moved into the apartment. I didn't go out much, but _Elsa_. Elsa rarely went out at all."

Anna blinked, shifting in her seat. "So, how did you two manage to become friends if neither of you left the apartment much?" She froze, shoulders hunching to her ears. "I mean, I _don't_ mean that in a rude way! Not at all. I just wondered how you two got on speaking terms since you're both indoors-y type of people." Anna cupped her hands, knocking her knees together as Kristoff's smile curled a bit higher. "Which is perfectly fine! I was just curious! Because, uh, my sister never mentioned having friends. Ever."

She kicked herself again for her awkward rambling, but Kristoff shrugged. He turned onto another lane and towards the exit. The airport was left behind them and she saw the beginnings of residential areas as they drove down.

"It was nothing big really," Kristoff said as he paused at a red light.

"Oh?" She scooted in her seat a bit and he chuckled at the motion. "What? C'mon! Tell me!"

She _desperately _wanted to know how Elsa had been doing in their years apart.

Kristoff pulled onto the street and she saw houses, apartments, and shops flash by. He glanced at her briefly again, his smile morphing into a smirk. "We met at a club."

Anna let out a noise between a squawk and a snort. He actually laughed at that and she blinked several times. "Wait, you're serious?! Elsa? Elsa, _my _sister?" He quirked an eyebrow at her and she blushed a bit. "My sister who never went out anywhere?"

Kristoff nodded. "Yeah, trust me, I was surprised too. It was something her friends set up."

_Her friends? _The comment stung and she didn't understand why. She lowered her gaze, blinking slowly. Her hands rested in her lap and she clutched the fabric of her jeans.

"Some night out or something," he continued. "It wasn't anything huge. We just started talking. Neither of us liked the attention so we sat back and just watched. Wallflowers, the both of us."

Anna nodded, not really paying attention anymore to what he said. She stared at her hands, running a digit over her right index and middle fingers. They drifted into silence and she listened to the rumble of Kristoff's minivan in order to distract herself from any possible thoughts and questions. Questions that she wanted to ask and didn't want to.

After some time, Kristoff turned onto a street and they pulled up to an apartment complex. Anna jumped, glancing up at it.

"Wait, we're here?"

He turned off the engine and nodded, unlocking the car door. "Yeah, this is it."

Anna slid out, gulping as she looked up at the tall structure. _I'm ready for this right? I've been waiting for this since forever. I'm ready. _Her knees shook.

"Need help with your bag?" Kristoff asked, jarring her from her thoughts. Anna whirled around to face him. He flicked his thumb up. "Elsa lives on one of the top floors."

She grinned at him and reached to get her duffel bag from the backseat. "Yeah, sure. Thanks Kristoff," she said as she pulled it out. Her expression softened and she shifted her weight, mumbling, "For everything, I mean. Picking me up and driving me here. I know I'm a total weirdo so I appreciate it."

Kristoff blinked, pausing with his hand above her suitcase. He shrugged and gave her a full smile, tugging it out. "Don't mention it."

And that was the end of that. They headed inside and Anna trailed after him, clutching her duffel bag close.

_I guess he really isn't much of a talker. A lot like Elsa in a way._

Her stomach churned at the thought of her sister and chewed on her bottom lip as they stepped onto the elevator. The rumble of the elevator made her insides twist and turn. Every floor they passed brought her closer and closer to her sister. Anna pressed her back to the wall, pulse quickening.

_What am I going to say to her? "Hi Elsa! It's been so long!" That sounds like it's not a big deal. And it's a really, really big deal. _

Anna's grip on her duffel bag turned white.

_How's Elsa going to react when she finally sees me?_

Her sister had always been reserved. Things had been different when they were children, but over time—

The ding of the elevator made her jump. Kristoff stepped off, muttering, "It's just down this way."

"Oh, we're here? Already?" Anna stammered. Her blood roared in her ears and she stumbled after him, beginning to feel lightheaded. _I'm not ready!_

He didn't answer, just led her down the hallway until they passed a corner and he stopped. The blonde man turned to her, lips twitching. "You don't mind if I stop here do you? It's the fourth door on your left." He rubbed the back of his neck and Anna blinked. "Er, just that I need to get home and check on my dog is all."

"Oh," Anna said quietly. She grabbed her luggage case from him, fumbling with it. "Yeah, sure, thanks. Again," she laughed and mentally cringed when it rang hollow. _He probably doesn't want to see how awkward everything is going to go. Or how awkward I'm going to be. Oh god, what do I do? _Outwardly, she grinned at him and beginning heading down the hallway, giving him a small wave. "I'll see you around Kristoff."

He grunted and returned her wave, turning and mumbling, "Yeah, see you Anna. Welcome to the apartment."

And with that he was gone and she was left alone to face another door.

Anna gulped, footsteps small and unsure. The wheels of her case creaked along the floor and echoed in her ears. The door, a dull, dark brown—she was relieved it wasn't _white_—loomed closer with every step. Every muscle in her tensed. Her breathing quickened and she tightened her fingers on her duffel bag.

_It's okay. Just knock. You know how to knock right Anna? Of course you do! You did it for years. It won't be so—_

It swung open and the hallway was filled with light. Anna halted, teal eyes widening to the size of dinner plates. She gaped, rooted to the spot at the sight of a slender blonde still dressed in a business vest and skirt.

Ice-blue eyes pinned her in place.

Elsa's hair was down, weaved into a single plait. It was slightly mussed and her bangs fell down the side of her face. Slight shadows rested beneath her eyes and her brow was furrowed. She still had her make-up on. Anna guessed she had returned just a little bit before them. Her fingers clutched the door, nails digging into the wood.

Elsa gasped softly and Anna shook in her sneakers.

_Oh god, I'm not ready._

She lifted her hand, fingers flexing in a tiny wave. "Hi."

Elsa blinked and her face softened. Anna's heart kickstarted again. Her older sister pushed the door open wider, half-turning. "Hi yourself," she said, smiling just a bit. Anna's cheeks warmed at the sight. "I was going to go down and wait for you two at the entrance, but it looks like I don't have to."

Elsa turned and Anna stared at her back as she headed inside. _Wait, what? Is that it?_

She was about to follow, shoulders down, when her sister poked her head out again, frowning.

"Oh, Anna." Anna swore her heart burst at hearing Elsa say her name and not over the phone. "Here, let me get that for you."

The blonde moved forward, heels clacking, and Anna inhaled sharply when Elsa stopped in front of her. _Close. Oh wow, she's close. _She could smell the perfume still on Elsa's coat. The redhead blinked several times as her sister reached for her luggage case. She let go on instinct, watching long, thin fingers wrap around the handle and tug.

Anna watched, eyebrows slowly rising as Elsa continued to pull at it, grunting when it didn't budge. Frustration lined her delicate features as she continued to pull at it in vain.

"Wow," Anna breathed without thinking. Elsa's head snapped up, lips pursed and a blush on her face from the exertion. She drew back and Anna missed the contact even if they hadn't touched.

"Sorry, I'm tired," Elsa mumbled, running a hand through her bangs.

_Oh good going genius. Way to be sensitive. It'll be morning in a few hours and she probably hasn't slept. God Anna, can't you keep your mouth shut for one second?_

"No, it's fine. Uh, let me do that." Anna grabbed her luggage case and dragged it to the door, smiling crookedly at her older sister. "You're probably exhausted."

Elsa's shoulders drooped and Anna's heart clenched at the deep sigh. The blonde nodded and turned back to the door, slipping inside. After a moment's hesitation, Anna slowly followed her through the threshold. Elsa moved aside to let her pass through and then turned around to shut the door behind her, locking it.

The silence that followed rang in Anna's ears.

She shuffled her feet, looking around the apartment. It was clean. The tiny hallway immediately connected to the living room and kitchen. She guessed the second hallway led to their rooms and the bathroom. She could see a few photos on the living room stand, but other than that, it was void of any personal attachments.

Elsa coughed behind her and Anna turned to her.

The blonde fiddled with her keys. "Your bedroom is just down the hallway. I have everything set up for you already." She brushed past Anna, gesturing for her to follow.

Anna trailed after her like an unsteady gosling. The sound of her luggage creaking along the wooden flooring made her cringe. But the hallway wasn't long, with her bedroom being just past the bathroom. Elsa pushed the door open and smiled slightly at her.

"Here we are."

Anna slipped past her and Elsa turned on the lights. Her room was vacant, holding only a bed, a dresser, a desk, and what she guessed was a tiny closet. The redhead settled her bag and suitcase to the side, sighing in relief and rolling her shoulders at the lack of weight. She turned to Elsa, hands smoothing over her jeans. Anna swallowed and gave a tiny shrug.

"Well, I'm here." _Back at your side._

Elsa smiled softly, eyes hooded. She nodded, humming. "Yes, you are."

Anna beamed and opened her mouth to—

"Do you need help unpacking?" Elsa frowned at her luggage, exasperation and fatigue obvious on her face.

"Oh, no," Anna laughed, startled at the interruption. Her palms felt sweaty. "I was going to do that in the morning, i-if you don't mind."

Elsa shook her head and then she pinched the bridge of her nose. Exhaustion rolled off her in waves. "I don't." She turned away again and Anna stared at the familiar sight of her back. "I'm sorry Anna. I'm rather tired so I'm going to bed now. Let me know if you need anything."

"Sure," Anna squeaked and the door shut.

She stood there for a long moment, hands clenched into fists. When she found the energy to move at last, the redhead shut off the lights and slumped on her bed. It creaked beneath her and she stared at her hands in the dark.

_What was I expecting?_

Anna swallowed, a burning sensation starting behind her eyes. _A hug? Maybe for her to stay? Something else besides—_

—besides every interaction they had ever had for _years?_

Anna blinked, sniffing. She flexed her fingers and rubbed the top of her right knuckles.

_I can't believe I thought things would be different immediately, now that we're living together again._

_Why would they?_

Without bothering to change out of the clothes she had waited in for hours, Anna laid down and curled on her side. She shut her eyes tightly, tears edging down her face. Sleep overtook her at last.

* * *

_When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken_

_So I hung my head and cried_


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N:** I'm really sorry for the wait on this chapter and the next chapter of AAFS. Things have been so hectic IRL, but thank you all for being patient with me! And thanks so much to the people who reviewed, favorited, and followed! I'm glad at the response this story got just from chapter one. For the record, this story is going to be much more on the angst-spectrum than AAFS, so for people expecting lots of fluff and cute moments, you might be disappointed. Not that there won't be any fluff at all, but this story is much more bitter than AAFS (which I will hopefully be updating soon). Also a preemptive note, this story is Elsanna through and through and in case some of you get antsy about a certain scene in this chapter, there won't be any love triangles in this story. It's just Anna being a dork. Anyway, enjoy!

* * *

_Turn around_

* * *

"—_didn't text me, are you okay? Anna? Hey Anna!"_

Her cell phone was what woke her up. She was sure of it.

The loud, blaring ringtone that she assigned to "worrywart" cousins split the air like a fire alarm. Instinctively, she reached for her alarm clock, hand swatting uselessly before she realized—_oh shit, phone. Right._

Anna slapped her forehead and groaned. The alarm brought a swift, throbbing headache and she grappled with the sheets before her hand bumped into the plastic surface. Her fingers fumbled with the buttons before she heard the click of "accept call."

"Finally!"

Anna groaned again and pressed the phone to her ear, rolling over onto her back. Without bothering to open her eyes, she sighed and mumbled,"Punz? What time is it?"

"9:30. Well 6:30 for you, but that's not important," Rapunzel said and Anna heard her exhale greatly in relief. "What's important is that you finally answered my call! Gosh, Anna, I was worried sick! When you didn't call back, I started wondering if something happened to you! If you got drugged on the plane, if you got mugged, if someone grabbed you at the airport o-or you lost your phone and you were just sitting there in the l-lobby! I kept telling Mom and Dad, 'Maybe she's—'"

"Punz," Anna muttered, cutting through her cousin's increasingly loud and desperate rant, "I'm fine, as you can tell. I didn't call because I forgot. I fell asleep as soon as I got to Elsa's place." That was a bald-faced lie, but she wouldn't dare tell her overly-stressed cousin what had transpired last night just yet. Or what had _not _transpired to be more precise. Her stomach twisted and she balled her free hand into a fist, fighting back the sudden burn behind her eyelids. "Sorry for worrying you guys," Anna mumbled, a new wave of fatigue washing over her, "but I'll make sure to call or text you each night to tell you how I'm settling in from now on. That fine?"

She heard another heavy sigh and when Rapunzel spoke again, her cousin's voice was much calmer with an undertone of affection. "Sure, that sounds great. Okay, I have work in a little bit and I'm pretty sure you're still tired since it isn't like one in the afternoon so I'm going to let you go now. Text me later?"

Anna rubbed her eyes and grumbled, "Yeah, sounds great Punz. Have a great day at work."

She heard a soft air kiss before the line ended. Anna sighed and dropped her phone next to her on the pillow. She lay there for several moments, eyes still shut.

_I should get up. No point in delaying the inevitable._

After heaving her third sigh in the past ten minutes, she rose from her new bed, blinking blearily. The room was dimly lit and her head ached from having to adjust her eyesight. However, sunlight peeked through the curtained window in front of her. She yawned and stretched her arms over her head, wincing when she heard several pops in her back and shoulders.

Anna pushed herself to the edge of her bed and took in her surroundings. The bare room left her stomach in knots and she chewed on her lower lip as she pondered on what she was going to do for the day.

_I guess I'll just check out the apartment and what's around. _

She'd leave checking out her new university's campus for another day. Jet lag weighed horribly on her, especially with less than three hours of sleep.

_I wonder if Elsa's awake._

Anna swallowed and pushed herself off her bed, striding towards the door. She was still in yesterday's clothes, but at least her hair wasn't a nightmare. Her braids were mussed, but at least they had stayed intact. Opening the door, she poked her head out and glanced up and down the hallway.

The bathroom door was open, but the door to her sister's bedroom was shut.

_Just like always. I wouldn't be surprised if she left already. Would be typical of Elsa._

She was about to turn around and head back into her room for a few extra hours of sleep when the scent of caffeine hit her. The redhead blinked, half-turned in her doorway. With one foot still raised in mid-step motion, she leaned back and sniffed the air. Her stomach growled loudly at the rich, deep flavor that wafted into her nostrils.

"Yeah, that's coffee alright," Anna mumbled to herself. She almost expected chocolate, but knew better than to hope for the sugary confection so early in the morning.

Rubbing the back of her head, she made her way to the tiny kitchen just in time to hear the clink of a mug. Anna stiffened in the hallway, eyes widening when she confirmed that she wasn't alone in the apartment.

_I think I died and woke up in Narnia._

Elsa stood at the kitchen counter, back turned to her. Her hair was done up again in the same braided plait that she'd worn last night. Anna blinked. It was weird seeing her sister with her hair down. She hadn't seen Elsa wear it down since they were kids. For most of her teenage years—what years they'd actually _shared_—Elsa had always worn it up in a bun. Although, looking at her now, Anna briefly wondered if Elsa had even bothered undoing her braid since last night. All the photos she had of Elsa from their years of separation, as small as the collection was, had always shown her sister in clean, immaculate attire. Now though, her sister didn't look as immaculate, though her clothes were still neatly pressed.

_This is weird. She looks good, but…_

But her sister didn't look so _sterile_, she realized. Sunlight, from the glass doors on the farthest wall of the apartment—the one that led out to a tiny balcony—streamed in and made Elsa's hair go from a pale white-gold to a soft, rich blondeness. Standing there, with a few loose strands poking out from her braid and hands busy moving across the countertop, Anna had the distinct impression that this was the most realistic her sister had ever looked like to her. For the first time in years. Photos had been one thing, but this was the real Elsa she was staring at.

_Well of course she's real you idiot. She's standing right there._

As if she sensed eyes on her, Elsa looked up from the kitchen counter, blinking when she noticed Anna. The two stared at each other for a long moment and Anna felt the air crackle with a sudden thickness. Anna's eyes dipped down to Elsa's hands and realized what Elsa had been busy with at the counter. _Oh. Right. I smelled coffee. Wait, what? Since when does Elsa drink coffee? I thought she was more of the tea type. _

But then again, Anna had to admit to herself she didn't know much about her sister at all.

The blonde had a fresh steaming mug in one hand and her phone in the other. Anna guessed Elsa had been up for at least a half hour, judging by her appearance. _Did she even get any sleep? It hasn't been that long since I got here. _She shifted her weight, cheeks reddening slightly when she realized how messy she looked in comparison to her older sister. Even if Elsa looked a little haggard, she still looked far better off than Anna did. Anna glanced down at her wrinkled jeans and t-shirt and compared them to Elsa's prim dark blue business suit and pencil skirt. Spots of rouge filled her cheeks from a flash of self-consciousness. The redhead smoothed down the front of her pants, lips quirking into a crooked smile. She glanced back up at Elsa and froze when she noticed Elsa was still staring at her.

_Don't move Anna. Don't speak. Don't even breathe. You might disturb this elusive, beautiful creature in her natural habit._

"Morning," Anna said, shoving her hands into her pockets. _Well, okay, speak after all you dim-witted idiot._

Elsa stared at her for another long second.

_Do I have something on my face?_

She lifted a hand halfway to her cheek before Elsa turned around, muttering a soft, "Good morning."

Anna's stomach twisted and she stood there awkwardly for a moment before dropping her hand back to her side. She watched Elsa study her phone for a moment before making her way to the tiny kitchen table and sitting down. Her palms began to sweat nervously and she tapped her fingers on the cool surface, wondering how best to approach the topic of food.

She got her answer when her stomach growled loudly again.

Elsa glanced over her shoulder, raising one eyebrow and Anna blushed darkly.

"Hungry?" her sister asked, setting her phone and mug down.

"Uh, yeah," Anna mumbled, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "Last thing I had to eat was lunch from yesterday. I didn't, uh, buy anything because I was worried about the flight delays."

Elsa's other eyebrow shot up, joining its twin and she mentally cringed at the blank look her sister gave her.

_Wow, I'm on a roll today. Way to go Anna! Barely an hour in the morning and already you convinced Elsa you're irresponsible about normal things like, you know, __**food. **_

She was snapped out of her thoughts when there was a crinkling of paper and jingling of coins. Anna stiffened when she realized that during her stupor Elsa had walked over to her side and placed a wad of cash on the table.

The blonde brushed past her, stuffing her phone into a small purse and heading towards the door. "Get something to eat. There's a sandwich place right around the corner of the block," she paused for a brief second before adding, "and a conveniencestore across the street if you want to check that out."

Anna's mouth dropped open. _Wait, what? What just happened?_

Elsa stopped by the door, glancing over her shoulder. Anna's heart jumped in her throat at her older sister's unreadable expression.

"If you don't want to go out and buy something, you can always see what'd you like here." The blonde shrugged her shoulders halfheartedly and Anna saw a flash of fatigue in her eyes. "I don't know if you'd like anything though. I haven't had time to go out and buy groceries, sorry. Anyway, I made you a spare set of keys to the apartment. They're in the top drawer in your room. Try not to wander too far. I'll be home late, don't wait up for me."

_Wait, what? She's not going to tell me the exact time she gets home?_

Then again, Elsa had arrived at her apartment last night past three. She wondered if that was a common occurrence.

_I wouldn't be surprised._

Her older sister opened the door and was about to step out before Anna shot up in her seat, the chair clattering with her sudden movement. Elsa jumped and whirled around to face her, blue eyes wide.

"W-wait!" Anna's brow furrowed and she looked between the still steaming coffee mug and her sister. "D-do you want to grab a bite to eat together?"

Elsa shook her head and Anna felt her heart drop like a stone. "I'm sorry Anna, but I can't. Work starts at 7:30 and my boss won't take kindly to me being late." Her fingers fiddled with the doorknob.

Anna blinked and narrowed her eyes slightly at the action. _Is she not—_

"Anyway, I'll see you later."

The door was almost shut before Anna exclaimed, "What did you have for breakfast?!"

"A bagel," Elsa replied, not bothering to turn around this time. Then she was gone, blonde plait disappearing behind the swinging wood.

The slam rung in Anna's ears, stirring a twisted, nauseous feeling in her stomach. She stood there with her hand outstretched for an unknown amount of time. The abrupt silence of the apartment made her skin crawl. Swallowing thickly, she glanced around, taking in her still surroundings. The stove top was turned off, the fridge door was closed—she contemplated checking what was inside before deciding against it—and the coffee mug was steadily growing colder.

Anna sighed and ran a hand through her disheveled hair.

"Guess I might as well get cleaned up. Then I'll eat something."

* * *

After fumbling with her luggage, standing in the bathroom wondering what she could actually _touch_, Anna exited the apartment freshly showered and changed. She fiddled with the keys Elsa had left her and glanced up and down the hallway.

"Okay, first things first! Breakfast!" Her stomach growled viciously and she winced. "Yeah, guess it's the convenience store today. Don't think I can wait any longer."

After making sure the door was locked, she jogged down the hallway, leaving the curling, nauseous feeling in her stomach behind.

Down the elevator, through the double doors, and out into the streaming traffic of Los Angeles. Anna stopped and took in a deep breath. The summer sun was already rising higher into the sky. She glanced at her wristwatch and noted it was 7:15. "Well, early bird gets the worm as Auntie used to say."

Anna skipped off the steps and headed down onto the sidewalk. She hummed as she walked, feeling the tension in her muscles leave as she listened to the cars zooming past and people hurrying to their destination. With a hop, skip, and a dash across the intersection—after waiting for the walk sign to turn green of course, she didn't want a repeat of her accident from two years ago—she arrived at the convenience store.

Anna huffed, tilting her head back and blinking at the neon sign. "Louie's," she whispered to herself. The L flickered briefly and she jumped. "Not exactly what I had in mind." _No wonder Elsa didn't sound exactly happy about this place. _"Well, can't judge a book by its cover." She shrugged and pushed open the door, hearing the chime of the bell.

Immediately she was hit by the scent of coffee and donuts. Anna's stomach growled and she gulped. The store was empty save for the clerk and, what she could tell from her position at the entrance, one other person. She fingered the change and cash in her pocket for a moment, eyes darting over the shelves and clerk.

_Alright Anna, you can do this. First mission of the morning: __**don't **__make a jackass out of yourself._

She blinked and recalled her conversation with Elsa. The redhead winced and bit her lip.

_Make that second mission._

Three minutes later and Anna quickly concluded that she wasn't off to the healthiest breakfast in the morning. The clerk blinked down at her chocolate donut, chips, and energy drink. She blushed and grinned sheepishly. The portly man just shrugged and rang up her items. She couldn't get her bag of goodies from him fast enough. Her stomach was growling insistently and she was already stuffing the donut in her face before she was even at the door.

"Oh god, I missed you cheap, delicious, sugary stuff!" Anna groaned, taking big bites out of her donut. It really had been _hours _since she had had something to eat. Her stomach burbled and growled pleasantly, accepting the fried dough and chocolate with gracious need.

Too caught up in her eager munching, she failed to notice the door swinging open just as she was in front of it. Anna looked up just in time to get a face full of breasts and white fabric.

"Ack!" She stumbled back, feet slipping out from under her. There was a series of sounds, her drink clattering to the floor, chips falling out of her grasp, her half-eaten donut splattering on the floor only for her sneaker to catch on it, her rear end meeting the store's floor, and the thud of someone falling back onto the glass door.

Anna shook her head and blinked, eyes widening when she saw a pair of slim, bare legs in front of her. She followed the stretch of fair skin up to a knee-length dark brown skirt and a freshly pressed blouse. Pressed, of course, with an imprint of her face. The tall woman had long blonde hair, but unlike her older sister it was darker, more of a shade of dirty blonde than the incredibly pale kind Elsa had. She had blue eyes, grayer than her sister's icy shade, an elegant neck and high cheekbones. Anna's eyes dipped down to the black heels she wore and her eyebrows rose, a light blush tinting her freckled cheeks.

_Woah, sex on legs._

"_Excuse _me," the woman said and Anna snapped her head up. The blonde plucked at her shirt before glaring at her. The hair on the back of Anna's neck rose at the venom dripping from her eyes. Her blouse had a few chocolate stains on it and Anna paled when she realized it was likely because of the donut she'd been eating. The woman pushed herself off the door, straightening to her full height and the redhead gulped at their differences in stature. She smoothed down her shirt, growling when her thumb passed over the stains, and hissed, "Please, _watch _where you're going next time."

"Oh! Oh, I'm sorry!" Anna stammered, face heating up quickly. She scrambled to her feet, pushing back a lock of hair and running her hands over her jeans. "I didn't mean to- I mean, I wasn't looking where I was going." If possible, the blonde's eyes narrowed even more and Anna laughed nervously, bending down to pick up her chips and drink. She ducked her head, unable to meet the stranger's disdainful look and muttered, "I'll, uh, get out of your way now."

The woman humphed and Anna straightened, sneakers squeaking against the floor as she shifted to the side. She hunched her shoulders and glanced down as the blonde gave her a passing, annoyed look.

_Okay, sex on legs hates me. Good going Anna! Bump into someone and get caught probably looking like a pervert._

She blew at her fringe before her eyes landed on her smooshed donut. Anna slumped and sighed. _Well, that's not salvageable. _A few crumbles of chocolate fell off and her stomach growled at the waste. Feeling eyes on her, she glanced to the side to see the clerk glaring at her. Anna smiled crookedly and shrunk.

"I'll, uh, clean that up."

After an awkward moment of grabbing a few paper towels—which meant flashing the blonde an apologetic smile because the woman was also wiping at her blouse—she scurried out of the convenience store, clutching her drink and chips to her chest.

Anna skidded to a stop at the intersection and heaved a sigh, shoulders slumping. "Okay, so second mission of the morning was a total bust. No big deal, still the rest of the day to go."

Thankfully, the short walk back to the apartment _wasn't _filled with any more slip ups. Anna skipped up the steps and pushed the double doors open with a large smile. The complex was relatively quiet. She didn't see anyone in sight.

_Guess everyone keeps to themselves. No wonder Elsa lives here._

She pushed back the rolling feeling in her stomach at the still atmosphere and walked slowly down the hallway, opening up her drink and bag of chips. For a few minutes the apartment was filled only by the sound of her crunching and drinking. Anna frowned when she stopped at the elevator and saw it was empty. She swirled the sugary liquid around in her mouth and hopped in, quickly pressing the buttons up to her floor.

"Everyone probably has work," Anna mumbled, leaning against the wall. "Yeah that's it. Work. Lots of people wake up early in the morning for work Anna." She bit her lip and watched the number change as the contraption rose. "In fact, pretty much everyone but you gets up early to do stuff."

The elevator chimed and she slipped out, crinkling her now empty bag and drink. She couldn't walk fast enough, hair on the back of neck rising from the prevailing silence.

When Anna turned the corner onto her apartment hallway, she paused mid-step. A bright smile lit her face when she recognized a figure not too far off. The sturdy blonde man was grumbling and jingling his keys at his apartment door.

_Oh, hey. Him! What was his name again? Christopher? No wait, that's not right. _

She chewed on her lip until a lightbulb went off in her head. "Kristoff, hey!" Anna called out, walking toward him after a moment's hesitation. She waved enthusiastically to get his attention.

He glanced up as she neared him, a slight frown creasing his brow. Rubbing the back of his neck, he clicked open his apartment door and gave her a meek wave. "Oh, uh, hi Anna."

She frowned, feeling her insides twist and the rolling, coiling feeling from before return. Balancing her trash in one arm and stuffing her other hand into her jean pocket, Anna stopped a few feet away from him and looked herself up and down. Her eyes roamed over her pants and shirt, lips pursed. When she was sure that she didn't have any drink or sugar stains on her person, she looked up at him with a crooked grin.

"What, do I have 'plague' written all over me or something?" she quipped, teal eyes twinkling in amusement.

Kristoff blanched and fiddled with his keys, half-pushing his door open and taking a step inside. "Uhh, no, no." He looked her up and down and added, "You look fine. Seriously."

Her smile faltered and an awkward silence stretched between. He stood there halfway into his apartment, brow furrowed, while she shifted her weight from foot to foot.

"Yeah I guess that was a bad joke," she said, laughing once.

Kristoff blinked at her. "It was a joke?"

Anna cringed. _Oh wow. I don't know if he's that bad at picking up jokes or I just suck at telling them. _She rocked slightly back and forth on the heels of her shoes, chewing on her lower lip. "Uh, it was supposed to be. You know the thing about humor." She grinned and shrugged her shoulders. "How can you make people laugh if you can't even laugh at yourself? Am I right?"

"Oh." Kristoff nodded and turned back to his apartment. "Right, self-deprecation and all that. I get it."

The atmosphere between them—around the _entire_ apartment complex—made her skin crawl. Unable to stand it, she tilted her head at him and asked, "So how are you?"

Kristoff paused and she briefly wondered if he was getting annoyed at being continuously stopped from entering his home. She was relieved when he just turned back to her and shrugged. "I was just checking up on my dog."

"Oh, right. You mentioned you had a dog yesterday." Anna said, a smile curling on her lips. He nodded and she felt the tension in the air loosen somewhat. "What's his name?" she blurted out.

Kristoff quirked an eyebrow at her. "What?"

"Your dog. What's his name?" She tilted her head again and her smile turned into a cheeky grin. "Orrr am I not allowed to ask that?"

"Oh, uhh," he shifted and rubbed the back of his neck, "no, no it's totally cool. Sven."

"Sven?" Anna's eyebrows rose up to her hairline. _What kind of name is Sven?_

"Yeah, Sven," Kristoff said and she heard a slight hint of defensiveness in his voice.

She mentally cringed. _Oh crap, hope I didn't offend him. _Quickly deciding to remedy the situation, she straightened and asked, "Can I meet him? Wait, it's a him right? Or her?"

Kristoff stared at her for a long moment and she ducked her chin closer to her chest at the unreadable expression on his face. She had gotten _how _many people to stare at her this morning? Three? Four?

_Maybe I'm being too pushy. I'm being weird aren't I?_

She was about to say she could leave when the corner of his lips quirked up and he opened the door wider. "Sure, I don't see why not. He'd probably come out to meet you instead if he could get up. And yes, he's a he."

Anna beamed and he gestured her inside. His apartment, like Elsa's, was mostly bare. However, the walls were a dark blue and she perked up when she noticed a few consoles and games on his television stand. She was about to look around a bit more when she heard the sound of a tiny, sharp bark.

Sven, she realized, turned out to be an excitable, friendly, and very affectionate _puppy_. Anna grinned—cheeks splitting like the Cheshire Cat—when the mass of black fur, legs, and tiny paws came waddling up to them, barking left and right. However, she frowned when she noticed a cast on one of the dog's legs.

"Uh, is he okay?" Anna asked, turning to look up at Kristoff beside her.

The blonde man flashed her a surprisingly tender smile before bending down on one knee and patting his leg, whistling to Sven. Immediately the black puppy stumbled towards him, licking his large hand in quick strokes. "Yeah, he's alright. He had an accident a while back, broke his leg chasing a squirrel, but the vet said he's well on his way to recovery."

Kristoff rubbed Sven's ears and Anna watched the smile reach his eyes. She relaxed, grin returning. The fuzzy puppy glanced at her, tilting his head. She knelt down, wiggling her fingers.

"Hey buddy!" Anna giggled. To her surprise, Kristoff gently pushed Sven in her direction and the puppy waddled over to her. Her cheeks hurt from the smile on her face. "Hey, hi there," she cooed as he cautiously sniffed at her hand. "How are you big boy? I'm Anna, your new neighbor."

Sven gave a short bark and pawed at her jeans and sneakers. She reached over to his ears and scratched behind them, giggling again when he panted in obvious delight. _Finally a super friendly face._

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kristoff still smiling at their interaction. _Okay, maybe he's not so bad either. Or he thinks I'm not so bad. Likely the latter. Definitely the latter. _

Sven licked her fingers and her expression softened. She bent her head and gave the wiggling, wet curious nose a quick kiss. _But at least this guy likes me!_

"He's adorable!" Anna squealed, ruffling his fur. "How long have you had him?"

Kristoff chuckled and stood up, making his way to what she assumed was the kitchen and disappearing into it. "Not long, since he's still a pup obviously. My parents got him and his mom at a shelter. They kept her, but I couldn't just leave this guy alone." She tilted her head when she heard the sound of metal and something else. Kristoff reappeared with a small pet dish, setting it down near Sven. The puppy barked before diving into it, tiny teeth crunching away. "And well, small pets are allowed in this apartment so everything worked out in the end." He reached down and stroked Sven's head. Anna stood up and watched him quietly. "We've been together since then. Not a long time, but I plan to make sure it's a long time."

Anna grinned and shifted. He glanced up at her and smirked.

"You can throw that trash in my garbage bin." He jerked his thumb to a can nearby.

"Thanks," she said and dumped her empty can and bag. _Alright, way to go Anna. He let you into his apartment the second day you've known him and even introduced you to his dog. Score for you, maybe this whole making friends thing isn't going to be so hard after all._

An idea suddenly flashed through her mind.

She dusted off her hands and turned towards him. "Hey, can I ask you something Kristoff?"

He blinked up at her, one eyebrow raised. "Sure, what is it?"

"You and Elsa are friends right?" She tapped her knuckles together, excitement beginning to bubble in her chest.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," he said, standing up. He moved to the kitchen area and she followed without hesitation.

"Do you know when her lunch break is?" Anna asked, bouncing on her toes as Kristoff reached towards his coffee maker. "I should've asked before she left, but—" _she was gone before I even had a chance of asking her anything_ "—I kind of forgot."

Kristoff fiddled with his coffee maker, humming thoughtfully to himself. "I'm not sure to be honest. Elsa always works really late so I have no idea when she'll be on a lunch break."

Anna deflated, dropping back to a still position and sighed. "Wait, aren't you two friends? How could you not know when her lunch break is? You've known each other for a few years now right?"

Kristoff grabbed a mug and shrugged. "Well, we're really more like acquaintances than friends. Elsa hangs out with her coworkers more often than me and even then she doesn't get out much." He fixed her with a look, eyebrow quirking up again. "Besides, if you want to know her lunch break so badly why not just text her? You have her number at least right?"

Anna bit her lip, resisting the urge to wince. She _did _have her sister's number, but past experiences left her hesitant to use it. Too many clipped responses, strained conversations, and tense moments.

_And sometimes no answers at all._

She stared down at the tips of her sneakers and brushed back a lock of strawberry-blonde hair, muttering, "Yeah, I guess I'll do that instead." Perking up, she tried another question. "Do you have any idea when she'll get out of work?"

"Uh..." Kristoff pursed his lips, reaching over to his coffee machine and beginning to pour himself a cup. "Late."

Anna slumped. "Really? That's all? No bare bones estimations? No, eight o' clock?" He shook his head, turning off the coffee machine. "Nine?" she pressed. "Ten?"

"Later than that, most of the time," Kristoff said and she brightened at the more informative response. "But I really don't know, sorry. Don't really like meddling into others' businesses."

She mentally cringed at the comment and took a step back. _Ugh, good going Anna. Way to come off as pushy and nosy. Even if it does involve your sister, that's no reason to ask a total stranger about her. Wow, I must have made him feel really awkward. _She rubbed the back of her neck and mumbled, "So, you think midnight is a good guess?"

Kristoff blew over his mug and said, "Better than most."

Anna nodded—more to herself than to him—and turned back to the door. "Okay, thanks. Anyway, I should get going." She saw something flicker in his eyes and guessed it was relief. She crossed through the living room, stopping once to pet Sven on the head before opening his door. "It was nice seeing you again and uh," Anna bit her lip and smiled crookedly, "sorry for bothering you."

He just blinked at her and shrugged, the slightest hint of a smile on the corner of his lips. "Don't worry about it. Sven enjoyed your company." As if to prove his point, the black puppy waddled over to her feet and pawed at her sneakers, nipping one of the laces.

Anna giggled and patted his head one last time before walking out the door, intent on heading back to her apartment. Not a second later, she scrambled right back into Kristoff's and blurted out, "Oh, wait! Do you know where the nearest grocery store is?"

"Grocery store?" Kristoff quirked an eyebrow and she nodded rapidly. He frowned and sipped his coffee again, then said, "Nearest one is about- wait, let me just grab a piece of paper and I'll write down the directions for you."

Then, with a paper being stuffed into her pocket, Anna bounced out of his apartment and jogged down the hallway all the way to hers.

_Alright! That wasn't so bad Anna. Maybe the whole 'making new friends' deal isn't completely impossible. Now, to unpack. I'll try calling Elsa later._

She skidded to a stop in front of their door, hand hovering over the doorknob. Her stomach twisted and she frowned. "On second thought, maybe I'll text her instead."

She fished out her keys, the jingle causing a strange mixture of unease and happiness to shoot through her, and slipped inside the apartment.

* * *

Anna grunted and zipped up her suitcase. She pushed herself off her knee and brushed the back of her hand against her forehead, sighing in relief. "That's the last of my stuff." The redhead glanced around her, smiling slightly at the now filled drawers of clothes and personal things. The few pictures she had brought over from New York now sat on her desk and the books piled up neatly in a tiny stack. "Okay," Anna huffed, grabbing her duffel bag and suitcase. "Now to just dump these right—" she dragged them to the corner and plopped them down, "—here!"

"Finished at last!" Anna jumped back and bounced on her feet, grinning in triumph. "No more unpacking for me! I can enjoy the rest of my vacation before classes start without worry!"

She glanced at her wristwatch and saw it was past noon.

"It wouldn't be bad to call Elsa right now would it? She should be having lunch right now, right? Most people have lunch around this time. Even people who stay after work for longer."

She pursed her lips, tapping her fingers against her jeans.

In the end, she decided not to text Elsa.

_I'll treat it as a surprise. She'll like it, I'm sure!_

With that hopeful thought in mind, Anna grabbed her keys, her phone, the rest of the cash Elsa had given her this morning—and the amount her uncle had given her before she left—a list she had compiled after checking the bare refrigerator, and hurried out the apartment.

She ran down the hallway, fishing out the piece of paper Kristoff had given her. "Alright, the grocery store is—"

* * *

"Um, okay, asparagus or...broccoli?"

Vegetables really were not her forte.

She stared at the head of broccoli in one hand and then switched to eye the group of asparagus in her other. Anna chewed on her bottom lip. Cooking wasn't really her forte either. It wasn't that she didn't know how to. She did, to some decent level. She just didn't do it often and when she had, it had been rarely for more than one person. She sighed and placed the head of broccoli back amongst the stack and snagged a plastic bag to place the asparagus in.

"Okay, um, next is a...starch I guess," she mumbled slowly as she placed her chosen vegetable into her basket. Picking it up, she plodded along down the aisles in search of the grains.

"Hmm, pasta or- well maybe Elsa would prefer rice? O-or even potatoes or something. Legumes? A protein?" she said to herself as she walked into the aisle and looked down the long line of produce. Scratching the side of her head, she tried to recall what types of foods she knew Elsa liked.

She came up blank.

Her shoulders slumped as she stopped in the middle of the aisle. "What does Elsa even eat anyway?"

This was California, not NYC. Maybe Elsa was into that food healthnut trend that she heard was popular here. Not that there weren't trends back at home, but Anna had never gotten on board with the healthy living style. Her notion of "eating healthy" tended more toward occasionally shoving vitamins and the rare bottle of mineral water down her throat. Sometimes she had eaten vegetables, when her aunt had actually been able to sit her down at meal times.

But most of what she'd consumed back in NYC had been various forms of junk food, not unlike what she'd had for breakfast that morning. Candy bars, chips, and donuts were what she had mostly lived off of back home. Sometimes she'd had the rare granola bar or a fruit on the way to work, per orders from Rapunzel.

But she'd never been one to actually take good care of her health.

_And Elsa is probably someone who does do that sort of thing. Look after her health, I mean. She probably doesn't laze around just watching TV with a bag of Doritos every night. Elsa isn't like that. I am. Elsa isn't like me. Elsa isn't like me at all._

She sighed, stopping in front of the pasta section. Anna bit her lip, staring at the bland looking packages while her mind went back several years.

Her sister and her had always been different. Even when they had spent more time together as children, there had been some clear differences in their preferences of activities. She had loved running around in the backyard, playing basketball with their toy court, and climbing the oak tree. Elsa had preferred to read under it, watching from the sidelines as she fumbled with the ball, or gently stopping her whenever she had thought that Anna would trip and fall on the grass.

_And even when she stopped me I kept on going. _

She had managed several bruises and scrapes that way.

"Not a wonder at all that we don't get along," she mumbled, glum. Her eyes flashed and she chewed on her lower lip.

She saw Elsa sitting under the oak tree in her mind, one arm curled around her tiny shoulders, tugging her in close and speaking softly. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost feel the brisk autumn air flowing through her hair. The scent of their mother's cooking coming from the house and their father's voice telling them to come back inside.

_But she did used to read me stories anytime I asked._

Her lips twitched into a tiny smile and she mentally gave herself a shake.

"Maybe sweet potatoes as a side dish tonight."

She recalled her mother cooking them that once.

Fifteen minutes later, she walked out of the store and into the parking lot. She pulled out her phone from her back pocket. For a moment or two, she thought about calling Rapunzel.

"I told her I'd keep her up to date this morning." Anna turned her phone over and over again in her hand, brow furrowing. "A-and maybe she might even give me a bit of a pep talk." Give her the confidence that she always needed when talking to Elsa.

_But maybe I shouldn't rely on her for this. She'd probably get worried about me and I don't want her bringing up the idea to Elsa that I'm uncomfortable talking to her. _

She decided against it. Instead, she sent her cousin a quick text message saying she was settling in fine and that she had finished unpacking her things. Then, with trembling fingers, Anna dialed the number for her sister's cell.

_I hope she's not too busy right now. It's not that late. She could spare a few minutes to pick up. Right? C'mon Anna, you can do this. This is the first step._

Her face lit up at the sound of the answering click. Anna quivered in her shoes, ears straining to pick up the sound of her sister's soft, quiet, beautiful—

_"Anna?"_

She trembled slightly at the way Elsa greeted her.

"Oh! Hey, Elsa!" Anna exclaimed, trying not to cringe when her voice came off high-pitched. "Um, I was just at the grocery store and I thought," she held up the bag of groceries as a testimony, as if she thought Elsa could see her act of responsibility, "I'd cook us up some dinner. What do you think of pasta for tonight?"

_"You bought groceries?" _Elsa asked and she could hear the confusion in her sister's voice.

"Y-yeah," Anna squeaked, gripping the bags tighter. She didn't miss out on the way Elsa ignored the rest of what she had said. "I noticed the fridge was pretty much empty so I thought I'd go out and buy stuff." Quietly, she added, "So, you know, you wouldn't have to."

There was a long moment of silence and Anna felt that ever familiar rolling, twisting, and coiling feeling in her stomach whenever her surroundings went quiet.

_"Thank you..."_

Elsa's words were soft and they washed over her gently. Her shoulders sagged slightly and her grip on the grocery bags loosened. Anna's cheeks warmed at the underlying tenderness in Elsa's voice and the beginnings of a smile curled on the edge of her lips. She swayed on her feet, eyelids half-closing, and tilted her head closer to her phone as if she could draw herself nearer to the presence on the other side.

_"But…"_

Anna went rigid. _Oh no. Here it comes._

"_I-I'm sorry Anna." _She could hear a pencil tapping on the other line and briefly wondered if Elsa was fidgeting. She discarded that idea when her sister continued, her voice distant again. "_I already planned to go out with my friends for a bite to eat after work."_

_Friends? But from the way Kristoff talked about you it sounded like you barely went out. So is this just a coincidence or—_

"_Don't wait up for me, okay?"_

Her finger nails dug into the plastic of the grocery bag and the skin of her palm. Anna swallowed thickly.

_"Please?"_

Elsa sounded tired again. She could have sworn there was a hint of desperation in her voice.

_Or is that wishful thinking?_

_"I don't want you staying up for me anyway," _Elsa cut in, _"Like I said, I'm going to be home late."_

"You mean you're going right back to work after eating out with your friends?" Anna frowned, trying to keep the sting out of her words. She prayed she succeeded.

There was a sigh on the line before Elsa spoke.

_"Unfortunately, yes. My boss has this project due on a hard deadline." _Softly, incredibly softly, she added, _"I don't want you staying up late for me. You're probably tired from the flight, aren't you?"_

She wasn't. She wasn't completely refreshed, but she wasn't exhausted. She was merely aching to spend time with her sister.

_"Right?"_

The whispered plea made her heart clench.

"Yeah, I kind of am actually."

_"Okay. Then, eat dinner and head right to bed for me, will you?"_

The relief in Elsa's voice was palpable. Anna swallowed again.

"Right, you got it. So, see you at home?" She frowned before quickly fixing her error. "In the morning, I mean."

_"Yes, see you then. Goodbye Anna."_

"Bye," Anna whispered and her line ended.

She stood there for several moments, watching the traffic buzz on the street and shadows waver on the asphalt of the parking lot. Then, Anna sat down on the curve of the sidewalk, placing the bag of groceries next to her. Hanging her hands in between her legs, she exhaled deeply.

"I miss home."

* * *

_Turn around and fix your eye in my direction_

_So there is a connection_


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **And the story of our two leading ladies continues. Currently at this point, we're still in the story's baby stages so I'm still trying to craft the world setting in this AU. There's a bit of tension in this chapter, along with some angst (as will be usual in this story) as well as some hint at backstory at last. Thank you to everyone who reviewed, followed, and favorited! I'm really glad you're all enjoying the angst in this story! It's been a while since I've written a story that's depressing from the get-go, but it looks like I'm not too rusty with my angst skills. And I just want to reiterate that the Elsanna will eventually come, but for now the focus will be on the sisters as they try to get used to living together again. Enjoy!

* * *

_Don't want to sing another song without you_

* * *

"You look stressed out."

She blinked and lifted her gaze from the countertop, turning away from staring at the spaces between her fingers to see who had addressed her.

A pair of violet-gray eyes stared back at her, with one fine brown eyebrow quirked. She sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.

"I'm not stressed out Meg," Elsa mumbled.

Meg grunted as she slid onto the stool next to her and rested her elbows on the glass counter. "I didn't say you were. I said you _looked _stressed out. And you do. You've got bags under your eyes that are darker and deeper than a sunken ship Blondie. Let me guess, the lost treasure down in those bags is full of dark, murderous thoughts about our boss? I know mine always are, you can tell me."

Elsa grumbled an incomprehensible reply and stared down into her martini, gently swirling the glass of clear liquid. All around her she heard the buzz of electronic dance music, the club's neon lights flashing in straight rays in her peripheral vision. There were waves of neon blue, pink, and green all around her, swarming at the corners of her eyes. The beat of the current song resounded in her temple and she felt the vibrations of the music in her limbs. She sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache beginning to pulse. Things weren't helped by the amount of alcohol she had intaked, though in her defense she hadn't actually drunk that much. It just _felt _as if she had.

_And why do you think that is?_

She slammed the idea down before it could fully form. Elsa grabbed her martini and took another sip and when she set it down, the glass clinked with a greater force than she had intended. Placing her chin onto the countertop, she mumbled absentmindedly, "Remind me why I came here?"

_Everything is too loud, too bright and too dark at the same time. There are too many people here. This was such a ridiculous idea and yet here I am._

Meg gave her a look as she tried to wave over the bartender, mumbling offhandedly, "Beats me Blondie. You're not the type for clubbing. Totally caught me off guard when you accepted our invitation to go out tonight. Think my jaw made contact with the floor when you said sure." She paused for a few minutes to order her drink to the young bartender in front of her. Then, she turned back to Elsa and frowned slightly, a wry smile on her lips. "Thought you'd rather go home and fall into a coma the minute your head hit the pillow, considering all the work you've been doing for the Boss. You certainly look like you need it."

_Home._

She winced.

She didn't want to go home. Home was the very reason she had accepted her coworkers' invite in the first place.

Meg noticed her flinch and raised a brow. Though light, her words were filled with caution as she asked, "Trouble at the humble abode?"

"No," Elsa deflected, sharp and quick, as she took a sip from her glass. This time, she allowed the flavor to swirl on her tongue and it sent a pleasant scorching down her throat. It was wonderfully distracting.

Meg tapped a finely manicured nail on the glass counter and glanced up and down the bar as she waited for her drink. Elsa savored her friend's silence, lips planted on the rim of her glass as she listened to the blaring sounds of the club. The pounding in her head was still there, but her drink was helping her to ignore it. Perfect.

After a few more tense minutes, Meg glanced back at her and stilled her fingers, bracing them on the counter's edge before she asked, "This wouldn't have anything to do with you-know-who would it?"

The pleasant numbness from her drink went dead.

"I've no idea what you're talking about," Elsa replied, voice clipped and shoulders rising up to her ears. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Meg's eyebrow quirk higher, but she made no move to ask Meg for clarification on her question or explain her own curt tone.

_It's really nothing. I shouldn't be this tense about it. I can take time out of my week to spend time with my friends. To hang out. Get away from work, relieve some stress. That's not unusual. Even if I don't really like this place._

She sounded horribly unconvincing even in her own head. Elsa's mouth set into a thin line and her blue eyes bore a hole into her drink, as if trying to freeze the clear liquid.

_There's nothing I'm trying to avoid at home. There's nothing wrong at home._

She raised her glass and took another sip.

_You just have a stranger waiting for you back at home._

A shiver ran down her spine and her jaw hardened. She took another small, quick sip and noticed Meg shift beside her. The bartender finally returned with her drink, setting the scotch glass in front of the slim brunette. When Meg set it aside without even taking a sip, Elsa knew she should be worried for whatever was coming next.

The brunette fixed her with a measured look, brow furrowed deeply. There was no sign of her usual sarcasm and cynical smiles, every trace of them bereft from her face. "Seriously Blondie, what's eating you?" she asked, leaning closer to Elsa.

Elsa leaned away.

"Nothing Meg," she stressed. Unfortunately, the rise of her shoulders hunching up to just beneath her ears, with her clipped and exasperated voice, did nothing to deter her friend.

"Well you _never _go out and—don't give me that look it's the truth," she grumbled when Elsa shot her a baleful glare, "you never go out, but you decided to go out with us tonight. Despite the fact that you're practically dead on your feet. What gives?" Her violet eyes looked the blonde up and down, the corner of her mouth dipping down.

"It's nothing," Elsa repeated, softer this time, realizing that Meg was only worried. She didn't want to talk though. She felt drained, her body worn out and her vision blurring with all the sights and sounds. The pounding in her head thudded along with the beat of the music, in a _one, two, and three _step. She watched the neon lights play over her free hand, eyelids falling to half mast as they gave color to her skin.

Except that it _wasn't_ nothing.

It couldn't be nothing.

She was exhausted, mentally and emotionally worn out from work—stretched thin and tight and pulled in every corner. The past several weeks had been hell, dealing with her superiors and certain coworkers. Including her boss. _Especially _her boss. Mr. Weselton had been almost relentless in his demands from her throughout the entirety of her current project, a constant, raspy breath down her neck several hours a day, five days a week. The only saving grace at her workplace had been the few people she considered friendly. But even they, knowing and understanding her frustrations with Weselton as well, couldn't obliterate the oppressive and suffocating air that hung over her during office hours at times. She wanted nothing more than to go home those times, lie down on her couch and watch television or curl up in her bed and read a book. Or just curl up in bed and fall into a coma, as Meg had said.

But—

_I don't want to go home. Or talk about home. Or even__** think **__about home._

Elsa sighed softly, shutting her eyes completely and pressing a hand to her temple.

"So am I right? Is this about the baby sis you _never_ talk about?"

The tension in her nerves increased one-hundredfold. The breath she'd been inhaling cut sharply through her and caught in her throat. Her eyes snapped open and she jerked her head up, staring at Meg, mouth open. The brunette fixed her with a serious expression, lips set in a tight line.

"Look, Elsa, I know you're really stressed out right now, but—" Meg began and the blonde could hear the worry in her voice, "you _need_ to go home. Eventually. Probably soon. Like, really soon. Preferably soon, you look like you're gonna pass out soon. If someone blew air on you you'd fall over, I swear to god. You need to go _home_. And sleep. A lot. You can't just hole yourself up in the office forever, 24/7."

Elsa looked away, jaw tightening. She stared at a spot on one of the bar's shelves behind the counter, eyes narrowing at the mismatched, dark stain. Her shoulders trembled a little bit and a burning wetness stung the back of her eyes.

Meg watched her quietly, gaze softening. After a moment, she sighed and said, "You're gonna have to face the girl eventually."

She _would _have to go home at some point. Tonight. Maybe. Her stomach twisted and she swallowed thickly. The blonde nodded and mumbled, "I know."

_But, just let me postpone it a little longer._

She was tired, _so _tired—stretched thin and tight and pulled in every corner.

She wanted nothing more than to go home.

She was scared to go home.

Raising her glass and tipping her head back, Elsa downed the rest of her drink in one go.

* * *

When she got to the apartment, she wasn't really sure what she was expecting. She already knew Elsa wouldn't be back by the time she had slipped through the door. The apartment was exactly the same way she had left it. Everything still in place. Pristine, yet impersonal.

_Seriously, what __**was **__I expecting?_

A warm welcome, maybe.

Anna's shoulders dropped and she sighed as she stood in the doorway. A wave of sudden exhaustion swept over her, similar to the one she had felt last night. She would have loved a warm welcome. Her bones ached to be wrapped up in familiar and unfamiliar arms.

But this was California—_South _California. This was Los Angeles. Streetlights and smog, sunshine and sand. Pollution in her eyes and in her lungs. Graffiti markings on the sidewalk one second and clandestine houses the next. The so-called city of angels.

Not _her_ city. Not New York City. Not rain and skyscrapers, subways and taxis.

Not home. This wasn't home.

_But I'm going to be living here for the next four years._

Anna's chest tightened and she swallowed thickly.

_Hopefully._

She took a few steps forward to stand just inside the apartment, limply holding the bag of groceries, slowly turning her gaze this way and that, taking in her surroundings once again.

It was bare and empty and lonely and cold.

_So, I have to make this place home._

Squaring her shoulders, she hopped out of her shoes and left them by the door, stumbling her way further in. She'd only made it a couple feet farther when she turned on her heel and scurried back to her shoes. Picking them up, she moved to place them neatly by the wall next to the door this time. She had made sure her shoes were—mostly—free of dirt when she had walked into the apartment. That was what her aunt had always wanted her to do. Maybe Elsa was the same. They were both quiet, respectable people with a penchant for cleanliness.

Maybe Elsa would notice her attempt at manners.

_Maybe._

Sighing, she strode toward the kitchen and placed the grocery bags on the counter. Rummaging through them, Anna pulled out the pasta and asparagus. She glanced back and forth at the pasta and greens, frowning.

"It's just me tonight, so…" She licked her lips, brow still furrowed. Then she shrugged and opened the refrigerator. The light spilled out from it onto her face and her stomach twisted. The fluorescent bulbs made everything look slightly less impersonal, shedding some brightness onto the apartment floor, but at the cost of making her feel cold and causing her knees to shake and weaken. Anna pushed down the rolling feeling in her gut and placed the greens into what looked to be their correct compartments. She turned back to the remaining bag of groceries, biting her lower lip. The redhead pulled out the jar of ragu and set it on the counter. It clunked on the surface and the sound seemed louder than it should have been.

_Oh come on you big baby. It's not like you're not used to this._

Anna bristled and glared at the bottle, fingers tightening around it. Her knuckles went white and she ground her teeth together, pensive.

_Oh, screw it._

"It's just me tonight so if I want to eat like shit, I will," she grumbled.

She set to work, uncapping the sauce while turning on the oven. The sound of pots and pans clanging together filled the apartment. She liked the ruckus. It made her feel a little less lonely. Water hissed as she filled a large pot and began to cook the spaghetti. She let it boil until it was as hot as her eyes.

Anna left out the side dish she had thought about preparing. She didn't like sweet potatoes anyway.

A half hour later and she served herself a steaming plate of spaghetti, moving to sit at the small table. She stabbed her fork and swirled the noodles around, staring almost in a daze at her food. She wasn't hungry. She was _so _hungry. She hadn't had a proper meal in two days. The thought of eating made her stomach growl in desperation. The thought of eating made her stomach flip over in nausea.

She devoured her meal in minutes.

And when she finished her first serving she went for seconds.

"Should've just ordered Chinese, I hate pasta," she grumbled as she filled her plate again.

Her second serving took forever to get through.

And when she walked into her bedroom, dragging her feet on the floor, she felt the anger simmering in her veins leave her. Her stomach was full and heavy, but a hollow feeling in her chest made everything want to come back up. She didn't bother flicking on the lights. Instead, Anna crawled into her bed and curled up, knees to her chest. She pulled the covers up over her head and pressed her face deep into the pillows, sighed through her nose, and fell asleep.

* * *

It was the slam of the apartment door that jerked her out of her slumber.

It rang from the living room all the way down the hall to her bedroom. Her own door had been left ajar, but she hadn't expected how _loud_ the noise would be. Disoriented and startled—brain foggy from some wayward dream—she jumped from the rumpled covers and cast a bleary gaze at the numbers of her alarm clock. The digits glowed an angry red in the darkness of her bedroom, like car headlights in the dead of night.

_3:05? What the…?_

Throwing the covers off of her, Anna stumbled out of bed and made her way to the door. She poked her head out of her bedroom and looked down the hallway, blinking the sleepiness away from her head.

She didn't see anything right away. Anna frowned and walked down the hall, shoulders slumped. There was a thump, softer than the door slam, and she halted.

Elsa was setting her bag down by the kitchen counter. Her older sister's back was turned to her and her hair, though still kept in its braid, was unkempt and peeking out in strands. Her clothing was rumpled and even from this position Anna knew her make-up was smudged. She could see the foundation on Elsa's cheeks had been wiped. Her shoulders were slightly slouched and her work jacket was ruffled, the primly pressed suit wrinkled in a few places.

Anna's frown deepened. _What the hell has she been doing all night?_

"Did you just get home?"

Elsa gasped and whirled around, plait flying off her shoulder and smacking her directly on the mouth. Not that she noticed when she caught sight of Anna across the hallway. Her older sister placed a hand upon her chest, a flush settling on her cheeks.

"Oh god, _Anna_," Elsa heaved, inhaling and exhaling rapidly. She ran a hair through her bangs and Anna noticed they were left hanging by her face again. The blonde rubbed her eyes and sighed, dropping her hand. "Don't startle me like that."

Anna blinked and tilted her head. She almost asked why Elsa was so surprised, but thought better of it. Instead, the redhead shoved her hands into her pockets and shrugged, mumbling, "Sorry, the door woke me up."

Elsa flinched.

_Damn it. Still the wrong thing to say._

Quickly, because she saw Elsa opening her mouth to explain, the redhead added, "So how'd your lunch go?"

Elsa shut her mouth immediately. Anna's stomach twisted at the blank expression on her sister's face and she bit her lip.

_Did it go badly? I hope nobody was a jerk to her. She looks tired. _Teal eyes honed on the dark bags underneath icy blue eyes. _Scratch that, she __**is **__tired. Poor Elsa._

"It went fine."

Elsa's curt voice broke through her thoughts. Anna started and watched her sister turn around to face the sink. She flipped on the faucet and began to wash her hands.

Anna blinked and stared as water slid over thin wrists and pale skin. Something stirred in the back of her brain and she found that words had died part way up her throat.

_Elsa always did take really good care of her hands._

She couldn't pull her eyes away. She swallowed. There was a lump in her throat. It wouldn't go away.

"Shouldn't you be in bed?"

Anna snapped her head up. Elsa glanced over her shoulder and for a moment their eyes met. She froze and her stomach flipped when she stared into that—_familiar_—unfamiliar blue.

A sudden heat—followed by a quick chill—ran down the back of her neck.

Anna looked away, stuttering, "I-I _was_ in bed. I went to bed soon as I finished dinner." _Which you weren't here to share with_, she wanted to say, but she held back her retort. Instead, when she noticed Elsa begin to frown, she added, "I'll go back to bed in a bit."

Elsa blinked and surprise—she _thought _it was surprise—flashed across her face. Then her expression softened and she turned off the water, grabbing a towel to dry off her hands. Anna's knees trembled when the tiniest of smiles curved on the corner of her sister's lips.

_Wow._

"Okay," Elsa said, nodding. The tension in the air lessened and Anna relaxed a bit. "Sorry I woke you," her sister added, shooting her an apologetic, tender look.

Anna's heart skipped a beat and the lump in her throat felt several times bigger.

"It's fine," she mumbled, breaking their gaze because she couldn't stand to look Elsa in the eye for some reason. She shuffled her feet and rubbed the back of her neck. "I just wanted to know what the ruckus was about." Softly, she muttered, "I didn't expect to see you until morning."

She cursed her lack of grace.

Elsa's spine straightened and her eyes hardened. Anna's stomach coiled tightly and she balled her hands into fists. Her older sister turned around, opening the fridge and rummaging through it. Anna blinked, brow furrowing. She bit her lip, watching her sister grab a bottle of water and uncap it.

_Is she even going to answer me?_

Anna shifted her weight and clutched her arm. "So, uh, what took you so long?"

Elsa swallowed a large gulp of water and set the bottle down. Anna felt a rush of relief when it didn't slam against the counter. _Maybe I didn't make her mad after all._

"I told you," her sister began, voice low and clipped, "I was going to go back to work after dinner with my friends. My boss has been pushing everyone harder on this project than usual because he wants to see quicker results."

_Is this why you're not getting any sleep? _

She _desperately _wanted to ask about the bags underneath Elsa's eyes, about how she seemed paler than Anna remembered, about—just about _something_.

_But I don't really know Elsa._

So, instead, Anna tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and looked away, saying, "Maybe you can call in sick for work tomorrow?" The tension lining her sister's shoulders grew. Anna dug her tooth harder into her bottom lip. "I mean, I don't think missing one day would be so bad." She saw Elsa take her hand off the bottle and begin to wring her fingers together. Anna ducked her head and whispered gently, "You're tired Els—"

"Some of us have to work Anna."

It hit her straight in the chest. Anna jerked her head back to stare at Elsa, blinking rapidly. Her sister's back was still to her and she tilted her head to the side, eyebrows knitting together.

"One day off isn't going to get you fired Elsa," she said. The hair on the back of her neck rose and she suddenly felt cold in the apartment. Something in her hissed that she shouldn't continue. She ignored the voice in the back of her brain. "You probably have a lot of sick days left anyway," the redhead snorted. "Would it be so bad to stay home for a little while?"

Elsa sighed and Anna's stomach dropped at the way her shoulders slumped. The blonde turned around, finally facing her and her heart dropped along with her stomach at the clear exhaustion in her sister's blue eyes.

"Anna, I can't do that. This project is incredibly important to my work right now." She bit her lip and Anna marveled for a moment at the similarity. "And if I don't go to work, it'll be a lot harder on my coworkers. They really need me for this job," Elsa whispered softly, staring down at her hands.

Anna frowned, fingers twitching. She wanted to do something. Reach out to Elsa. Brush her knuckles along her sister's hands, pry apart her fingers, and delicately intertwine their fingers together. Maybe to soothe her. Or just be close to her. Her heart thudded in her chest and she stared at Elsa's heels.

"But," Anna started, eyes darting from side to side, "I still wish you'd come home for dinner."

Elsa sighed and rubbed her temples, eyes shut. "It was just one dinner Anna." She opened her eyes and fixed Anna with a mixture of exasperation and affection. "I promise I'll come home for the next one."

She wished so badly she could say what she was thinking.

_Are you avoiding me?_

But it had only been two days since they started living together and she was reminded, yet again, that she didn't really know Elsa so she wasn't sure if this behavior was common for her older sister.

_It could be both though._

She pushed the thought to the back of her mind and swayed on the heels of her feet. "It's fine, I didn't mind." She ignored the way Elsa's eyes narrowed at her. "I just, you know," she gestured uselessly, biting her lower lip, "didn't know when you'd be home. I mean, I know you said we'd see each other in the morning, but I didn't know you'd still be at your office. Well, I-I mean, I _knew _you'd be at your office, but, like, I didn't know where you'd be after. Wasn't sure if you'd go out with your friends again. Or something."

That sounded nonsensical even in her own head. She hated it. She wasn't an awkward, gangly teenager anymore. She would be turning twenty-one soon, so why was she acting so nervous around her older sister?

_Come on brain. __**Work **__correctly. Make mouth speak words correctly. I know you can do it._

Elsa, who had been staring at her with increasing confusion, frowned and turned to pick up her bottle again. Raising the top of it to her mouth, she muttered, "Of course I'd come home from work right after. Did you think I was going to stay out all night?"

Anna shuffled and stuffed her hands back in her pockets. She glanced down at her socks. They were oddly colorful against the wood flooring and clashed because of it. "Well, it _is _3 AM," she pointed out, glancing at the blonde from beneath her eyelashes.

Elsa lowered the bottle and pinched the bridge of her nose. Anna chewed on her lip. Elsa seemed to do that a lot.

_Does she do it when she's frustrated or…?_

Anna opened her mouth to say that, really, she'd just been worried, that it was no big deal and that Elsa didn't _have _to explain herself, when her sister looked up and fixed her with a tired gaze.

"Of course I would come home from work Anna. Where else would I go?" She paused and licked her lips, eyes darting across the room before they settled back on Anna. She seemed just as unable to meet her gaze as Anna. _Seemed_. In a quiet murmur, as she lifted her water bottle again, she added, "I wouldn't stay out at god knows what hour of the morning doing who knows what like you used to do when we were teenagers."

Anna recoiled, eyes wide.

_That_ stung.

As soon as the words had left her mouth, a look of regret flashed across Elsa's stricken face. She jerked her head back to Anna, blue eyes widening. The bottle shook slightly in her thin hand.

"Oh," she whispered when Anna's jaw went slack. Her skin fought between paling and flushing with horror and astonishment. "No, Anna," Elsa stressed, lower lip trembling, "I… I didn't mean anything by that. I just—"

Anna looked away sharply, ducking her head and shrugging her shoulders. She hoped—_prayed_—Elsa hadn't seen the shine on her eyes. More than anything, she didn't want to be caught crying on her second day here. It made her sick to her stomach already that she had broken down the first night.

"No it's- It's fine," she mumbled, gaze downcast. She shuffled her feet, forcing a crooked smile quirking on her lips. "So your night went okay?" Elsa kept staring at her, bringing her water bottle close to her chest and biting her lip harder. Hurriedly, Anna took a step back and jerked her thumb towards her bedroom. "Okay cool, I'm going back to bed."

She swiveled on her heel.

She heard Elsa take a half-step toward her, heel clacking loudly against the floor. "Anna, I swear I didn't—"

"It's fine," Anna croaked, face flushing. She was glad her sister couldn't see because she doubted she would be able to hide how red her skin was or how her eyes were beginning to water.

Elsa persisted, following after her. It was a first and a part of Anna yelled at her to turn around and rush back to her older sister. Nearly twenty-one years old be _damned_.

"I shouldn't have- I'm sorry, I'm tired from work," Elsa cried out and she knew instinctively the blonde was wringing her hands together.

"No, it's- Don't worry about it, I shouldn't have have bugged you," she mumbled, turning in the direction of her room.

"Anna." Elsa's voice was pleading. She wanted to look at the blonde's face, wanted to know if her eyes were just as sorry as her words.

But the comment dug under her skin.

"I said it's fine," she called over her shoulder, still walking down the hallway. Her pulse thudded in her ears, but it couldn't drown out the shuffle of her retreating footsteps.

Elsa didn't respond—not even an indiscernible noise—and the silence that followed weighed on her shoulders like iron. Her heart dropped a few inches more. She hastened her footsteps.

Anna sighed as she crossed the short hallway and stepped back into the safety of her new bedroom. She closed the door quietly, hand lingering on the knob when it clicked shut. A part of her still didn't want Elsa to think she was badly hurt. Elsa hadn't meant it, she told herself. Of course Elsa hadn't _meant _anything by it. It was a slip of the tongue, she told herself. Her sister was tired, she had probably been half-asleep on her feet. If she'd been awake she'd have exuded her usual cautious tact.

_Yeah. That's it. Elsa's tired. I should've just let her slip into the apartment and go to bed without bothering her. She wouldn't have said that otherwise._

She swallowed thickly.

_Right?_

The redhead stared at her doorknob for a moment before exhaling and letting go, shoulders slumped. She turned around and dragged her feet to her bed, flopping down on it face first. Anna groaned into her pillow, "That was terrible. I can't even have a proper 'hey I was worried about you, you came home so late' talk thingy—err, conversation, whatever—with my sister without mucking things up."

She huffed and turned her head in the direction of her bedroom window to listen to the sound of early morning traffic. Anna closed her eyes and let herself be lulled into a daze, feeling the vestiges of sleep tugging at her, pulling in temptation at the weariness of her bones.

The sound of blaring trucks and cars echoed in her ears, merging with the drumming of her pulse as she fell farther into a doze. She was close to sleep, already on the beginning edge of a dream, when a flash of Elsa's stricken face flew across her mind.

Anna snapped her eyes open and groaned.

"It wasn't even a bad comment or anything," she mumbled, trying to console herself. There was no _real _reason that she should have been this upset, she reasoned.

_It's not like it wasn't true._

She rolled over and stared at her ceiling.

Maybe that was why.

Anna dug into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled out her phone, staring at it with a glum pout. It was six AM in New York. Her aunt and uncle would be awake by now, so Rapunzel would probably be too. She was tempted to call her cousin and talk about how the last two days had been going. Or rather, how they had not been going. Again.

_Hey Punz, it's me Anna. I'm just calling to check in with you and talk about how I suck at having a proper conversation with my sister. But hey, on the bright side, we've actually been able to hold each other to conversation for more than five sentences! That's progress, isn't it? I mean if you can ignore the fact that we can't really avoid making each other frustrated and awkward. But hey! At least we're face to face now right?_

Anna sighed and her pout shifted into a frown. She gently placed her phone next to her pillow. Rapunzel wouldn't enjoy her sullen attempt at humor.

_Okay, scratch that idea._

Elsa's horrified expression and hurt voice flashed through her head. Anna's jaw tightened with a grimace.

_Yeah, definitely scratch that idea._

She rolled back onto her stomach and stuffed her face into her pillow. It wasn't that she and Elsa weren't getting along. Well, they weren't. But things weren't _terrible _for them. They weren't bad.

_But they're not good either._

Anna shifted to lay on her side, staring at the night lights that peeked from her window.

No matter her fumbling attempts, the tension between them was like a rope she couldn't cut. Every opportunity seemed to be spent with them tiptoeing around each other.

_Like we're headless chickens who don't know what to do. Or even worse, headless pigeons. Something like that._

She sighed and grabbed the edge of her blanket, pulling it over herself and burying her face in her covers.

She missed New York so badly. She missed home.

_She didn't even notice I left my shoes by the door, all neat and clean and polite and stuff._

That bugged Anna more than anything.

* * *

The lights were off. That wasn't unusual, she hadn't bothered to turn on her lights in the first place. What was unusual was how much it bothered her.

Anna rose up from her bed and frowned sleepily at her light switch. The dimness of her room made her skin crawl and she fumbled in her sheets, hand searching for her cell phone. The light of the screen and Rapunzel's number was familiar and soothing. She crossed her legs under her, hunching over her screen and rapidly texting her cousin a quick message.

"_LA is nice. Weather is nice. Hope you're all okay back home—" _She paused and stared at her message, then pressed back a few more characters. _"Hope you're all okay back in NYC. Call you later?"_

There was a beep and not even a minute later, her cousin had responded.

"_Happy to hear that! I'll call you soon and we can talk for a while about how things are going. I have free time off work for once! Love you Anna."_

The array of hearts following Rapunzel's message and the brightness of her phone quelled the tossing and turning in her stomach. The lack of light only served as a reminder of how things had been before she'd been shipped off from Pennsylvania to live with her in-laws in New York.

Alright, perhaps being bothered by dark rooms wasn't unusual at all for her. She just wished the feeling didn't have to come back while living with Elsa.

Taking in a big breath of air, Anna shut her eyes for a moment and allowed the discontent to wash through. "Alright, day three, here we go!" she whispered to herself, hissing through gritted teeth.

The redhead jumped out of bed and jogged down the hallway. She didn't bother looking at her sister's door. It would be closed and locked as always. Instead, she headed right for the kitchen, ignoring the idea of a shower for now. She slid along the wood floor on her socks, a grin spreading across her face for the first time in hours.

"Hey Elsa, are you getting ready for—!"

Anna skidded to a halt just past the end of the hallway, flailing her arms and grabbing at the wall to prevent herself from falling. She huffed, nostrils flaring and her chest heaving, more out of surprise than anything else. The excited grin on her face dropped and she slouched.

Elsa was gone.

_Typical._

The redhead bit the inside of her cheek, eyes rolling in thought.

_Well should I really have expected anything else? I kind of left her in a bad spot last night. She probably thought we both needed space. Yeah, that's probably what we really need. Just some time to get used to each other. I should stop stressing out about things so much. It'll be fine._

"Right?" she quipped. Anna blinked for a few minutes before shaking her head. "Wait, just me here." Still, she couldn't help but say to herself, "So should I shower first or—"

A loud growl erupted from her stomach. Anna glanced down at it, eyes widening.

"So. Breakfast. Yeah, let's do that first." She stared at the empty kitchen. The silence answered her back. Anna chewed on her lip and shrugged, walking over to the cabinet. "Well, cereal is always a tried and true answer."

She rummaged through the pantry, standing on her tiptoes, before her eyebrows began to rise. "How does Elsa even look through half her stuff here? She's barely taller than me." Huffing, Anna turned around and grabbed a chair, sticking it up against the corner so she could access the cabinet more easily.

Spices, herbs, tea packages, oatmeal, granola bars, and several other assortments met her eyes. Anna blinked, tilting her head to the side.

_I guess I was right about Elsa being into healthy stuff._

She couldn't concentrate on the slight, pleasant thrill that vibrated in her chest at the thought because she quickly noticed that there weren't any cereal boxes in sight. There were, however, several boxes of the same whole wheat brand. She grabbed one and stared at it, wrinkling her nose. She flipped it, checking the nutrition information. The fiber was higher than what she normally ate.

"Okay, obviously Elsa would never eat things like, I dunno, Fruit Loops or Lucky Charms," she mumbled, staring at the box. _Things that __**I **__like. _

The thought shot through her and reminded her of their various differences. The positive energy she had been trying to muster up evaporated. Anna placed the cereal box back into the cabinet and grabbed a can of oatmeal.

"Oatmeal it is then." She sighed and closed the cabinet after making sure everything was back in its original place. She was certain Elsa didn't like things to be out of order too.

Then the redhead hopped off her chair and began to prepare her simple breakfast.

_At least it has cinnamon in it._

Several minutes later and she was at the kitchen table, munching on a spoonful and checking her phone. She flipped through her browser, tracking the route to her university.

"I guess I should visit the campus today," she mumbled, staring down at her bowl. "It looks like it'll take me about an hour by bus. That's not so bad."

_It'll give me something to do._

And she vastly needed something to do. The lack of activity had left her restless and her fingers kept tapping against the table surface. The silent apartment was making her muscles tense. The past two days, coupled with sitting around and waiting for hours on end at the airport, had been the longest time she was forced to sit still.

It made her skin crawl being stuck in the apartment like this. Her aunt's place had been bigger, but there had been other _people _in the house at least. Here, she was alone.

Anna's brow furrowed and she scooped another spoonful of oatmeal. "Definitely going to check out the campus today," she muttered around the mildly sweet mixture.

One single-person breakfast over and done, she hopped into the shower and quickly scrubbed herself clean. She twirled her hair into its signature braids as she grabbed her phone, her keys, quickly wrote down a message that she would be checking out the campus university—although a part of her considered this unnecessary since she would be home by the time Elsa was finished with work—and headed out the door.

To her mild disappointment, she didn't see Kristoff or Sven at all as she made her way through the complex. She didn't see anyone actually.

_Seriously, where the hell is everyone so early in the morning?_

She shrugged the thought off and made her way to the bus stop.

The moment her foot stepped onto the pavement of the sidewalk, the city came to life. Traffic sounds filled her ears, the rumble of engines and honk of horns blaring in the air. She inhaled deeply and smelled the scent of gasoline and asphalt on the breeze. She tilted her head up at the morning sun and sighed, shoulders loosening. The daylight and warmth of the sun felt wonderful on her skin. Unlike New York, Los Angeles seemed to be perpetually in a state of sunshine past the morning. A shout startled her from her momentary relaxation. Anna squeaked as a few people with their dogs brushed past her.

"Gah!" Anna rubbed the back of her neck, cheeks blushing slightly at her own startled reaction. She dusted her hands on her pants and smiled crookedly, lips twitching. "Okay, stop looking like a tourist. Come on, you've seen busier crowds back home." Nodding to herself, Anna hurried onto the bus stop.

To her delight—and also to her horror—the bus stop was filled with other people waiting on the sidewalk. Anna flexed the toes of her shoes and bit her lip, clutching at her phone and wallet in her pocket.

_Woah, okay. Actual real live people again. Unlike the apartment. Alright, you can do this._

She sidled onto the edge of the bench, flashing a half-smile when a young man glanced at her. He just raised an eyebrow at her before turning back to stare at his phone. Anna faltered and tapped her fingers against her jeans, whistling softly to herself.

She was staring down at her shoes when the bus came into view. Anna jumped to her feet, grinning as it came to a screeching halt. She let everyone else pass through before hopping on and depositing her change. Five seconds later she was sitting in the back row, transfer slip gripped tightly between her fingers.

_Alright, day three isn't terrible so far._

She would need to take a couple more buses before she reached her destination. The information on her phone said it would take around an hour to get to her campus, and that hadn't included waiting time between buses and traffic. Anna glanced up from looking at her shoes as the bus moved forward. She grinned and looked out the window, enjoying the rolling and rumbling of the large vehicle beneath her. Pressing her nose to the glass, she watched the cityscape flash by her. A strange mixture of rapture and uneasiness filled her as she watched the sights of LA pass her by. Her next bus stop would take about twenty minutes to get to, and she could catch the next bus there at the half hour mark. This wouldn't be so bad.

At least she wasn't cooped up in the apartment all by herself.

For almost the next half hour, she allowed herself to be caught up in the hustle and bustle that was the LA transit system, watching people hop on or off the bus. Every several seconds, she would cast her gaze out the window and watch the tall structures of central LA pass by. For the first time since she had arrived, everything _almost _felt like home.

When Anna finally reached her next stop, she hopped onto the curve with more spright in her step than she had all morning. She sat herself on the bench and glanced up and down the street. She was three minutes from the half hour mark. She'd made it on time, assuming the bus hadn't been early in its schedule. However, when she turned to look down the street, she beamed when she saw the telltale signs of the large vehicle coming up the street.

"Things are looking up today," Anna quipped to herself as she hurriedly climbed onto her ride.

The bus rolled and lumbered on before she could make it to her seat. Anna squeaked as she stumbled onto an empty seat, plopping her rear firmly on the hard cushion. Once again, she took to staring out the window, pleasantly lulled by the groaning and rolling of the bus as it moved forward. Anna shuffled around a bit, trying to get comfy in her seat, listening to the occasional murmuring of the other occupants around her and the rumbling of the engine.

After a few minutes, she gave a heavy sigh and leaned her head onto the window, pressing her temple against the glass. She watched the myriad of buildings roll by her again, slumping back in her seat. Despite the elation at actually being outdoors, something still tugged and squeezed at her chest.

_There's so many people here, but it still feels a little bit lonely._

At some point, she dozed off.

* * *

It was the jostling of someone moving to sit down next to her that woke her up.

Anna startled, rousing herself from sleep as the person edged onto the seat. She shifted back to allow the man more room and smiled when he gave her a grateful look. It was the first sign of friendliness she'd really seen all day. Anna returned it with a wide grin. She turned to face the front of the bus, settling back more comfortably in her chair.

Only to look out the window and see a vast number of unrecognizable buildings.

_Wait, what?_

Anna frowned and grabbed her phone. She flipped through her pictures where she had saved her travel map. The addresses and names weren't anywhere on sight. A sinking feeling started in the pit of her stomach. She bit her lip and glanced out the window again, a chill running down her spine.

_How long was I sleeping?_

She checked her phone. Fifty minutes had passed since she fell asleep. Anna bit her lip, her finger beginning to tap against her phone. _Okay, woah. Calm down. Just get off at the next bus stop and find your way back._

She practically yanked the cord when she requested the next stop. The man beside her shot her a surprised look and she flashed a nervous grin at him as she rushed off the stop.

She hopped onto the curve of the sidewalk and huffed. The bus rumbled for a few moments before its doors shuttered close. She turned her head and watched it drive away, the sinking feeling in her stomach increasing. She blinked and looked around. It was still daylight of course. Noon, at least. It was bright. She wasn't alone in the dark.

The hair on the back of her neck rose.

Anna dug her tooth into her bottom lip and her eyes focused on the street name.

She didn't recognize it. It wasn't on her map.

"I'm lost," she conceded at last.

* * *

_If you find yourself lost out in this world_


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **Like with AAFS, I really want to say I'm sorry for the extreme wait between chapters everyone. Classes started up a while back and they've really cut into my writing time so things have significantly slowed down. Nonetheless, I hope you all can continue to enjoy this story and thanks for being incredibly patient with me! One step forward, two steps back.

* * *

_I should've looked again_

* * *

_It's hot._

The summer weather of Southern California beat down on her back. The sun's heat made the air feel stiff and thick. The scent of asphalt stung her nostrils. She was grateful she hadn't worn a jacket this day, but she still felt as if she were sweltering in a giant toaster. Her jeans felt tight on her legs and she could feel a droplet of sweat roll down her neck. Her throat was dry.

_I should have brought a water bottle._

Anna swallowed and made a face when a stinging pain flared up. She sighed and stood up from the ground. After spending several minutes panicking at the bus stop, the redhead had hurried to find a small, shady spot to shelter her from LA's current heat wave. Which hadn't turned out entirely successful since the high sun had made finding decent spots virtually impossible. There wasn't a cool place in sight.

No free ones anyway.

So Anna had perched herself at a tiny store's corner, ducking under the small incline to get _some_ semblance of shade. Still, the tiny edge barely covered anything and she had sat there in the stifling heat for a while contemplating her choices.

The redhead ran a hand through her hair, cringing when sweat collected on her fingers. She wiped her hands down her jeans, pretending the increasingly sweaty palms were solely from the heat.

"Okay," Anna huffed to herself, straightening. "Now what?"

_Call Elsa._

She made a face as soon as the thought entered her mind. Anna fingered the phone in her back pocket.

It was the right idea. Even if she was working, Elsa would stop whatever she was doing to at least tell her what bus she could take to get back to the apartment.

_Ugh, come on Anna. Be more positive about this. Elsa would do more than just spare you a few minutes._

A car drove past, kicking up a breeze of dust and hot air. It stung her nostrils and throat.

_Right?_

Her stomach twisted. She pushed her toes deeper into the soles of her shoes, biting the inside of her cheek. She _should _call Elsa. It was the most logical thing to do. She would be in far deeper trouble if she hadn't returned by the time Elsa had finished work. Or God help her, what if Elsa actually called the apartment and she wasn't there to pick up the phone?

_Well, she can call my cell._

Anna nodded to herself, beginning to unconsciously rock on the balls of her feet. "Besides," she muttered to herself, "this is Elsa I'm talking about here. She's not going to freak out about me being missing."

It wouldn't be the first time she hadn't been at home at some odd hour. Day or night.

_Even if,_ a part of her brain whispered, _calling Elsa is __**still **__the most logical thing you dolt. You're just making excuses to avoid calling. What's the harm in asking?_

Anna snorted. What was the harm in asking, she asked herself. It wasn't as if she was unused to making decisions on her own. She'd done it since she was small.

_I'm going around in circles!_

Anna groaned and pulled at her hair. "Calling someone shouldn't be this hard!"

A passerby glanced in her direction and she quickly lowered her hands back to her side, fingers clenching into fists. She offered the person a sheepish grin, inwardly cringing when she felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her face. The stranger stared at her with an odd look before shrugging and continuing on.

Anna let out a shaky breath and let her shoulders sag.

_I should just buck up and call her._

It was hot and she was without water. Her throat was so dry that the stinging had increased in the past few minutes. The disruptive sleep pattern she'd been having ever since leaving New York was affecting her terribly. She felt nauseous and exhausted.

_It's the heat. That's what it is. Nothing else._

The redhead bit her lip and grabbed her phone from her pocket, swiping the lock screen. She cringed when she saw that the battery was at half power.

"Great, that's another thing I forgot to do," Anna grumbled. She rubbed her face with her free hand, a headache beginning to pound at her temples. "And I'm still talking to myself."

A habit she thought she had broken after moving in with her in-laws in New York.

She pressed her thumbs hard against her phone, jaw hardening when the lock screen flared to life. Her eyebrows knit together tightly and every muscle in her body tensed.

Elsa's face smiled back at her, hair loose from her braid and headband. Her cheeks were red; flushed from laughing and she had a smudge near the bridge of her nose. Her fingers covered her mouth, vainly trying to hide the fact that she was openly laughing. A lollipop was held tightly in her other hand, the cherry red color complimenting the blush on her face.

Anna was right next to her, planting a sloppy, wet kiss on the side of her face. Her hair had been caked with snow and flecks of mud.

_I haven't seen her smile like that in forever._

An ache—twisting and sharp—splintered in her chest. The heat of the sun suddenly wore down heavy on her shoulders and one of her hands dropped to her side, limp and weak.

She worked her jaw absentmindedly, thoughts running quickly through her brain.

_I don't want to stress her. She obviously hasn't slept well since I got here. _She tried not to cringe at her own words. _But not calling is going to stress her more. She probably thinks I'm at the apartment. I should've left her a message or something. _Anna bit her bottom lip, grumbling, "Way to think ahead Anna."

_Still talking to myself._

The redhead shook her head and glanced back down at her phone. Her expression softened when she took in Elsa's happy face. The picture had been snapped when they were kids, still living in Pennsylvania.

She could still smell the dew and frost from that brisk, sunny winter dawn.

Anna stared at her phone for a while, heart skipping a beat in her chest and dropping low. Another car drove by and zipped past her, the hot wind trailing it making her eyes water.

_It's just the heat. It's just the heat. It's nothing but the heat._

After a few more seconds of stillness, she slipped her phone back into her pocket.

"I'm going to get something to drink first," she muttered to herself.

Turning on her heel and stuffing her hands into her pockets, Anna headed down the sidewalk.

She was avoiding it. That much was certain. She was avoiding it because she didn't want to cause Elsa more worry, stress, or even anger her.

But more than that.

More than the possibility of Elsa being frustrated with her wayward mind, or scolding her like an irresponsible child, she was afraid that—

_I'm such a fucking baby._

Elsa wouldn't react at all to her missing.

* * *

The _clack-clack _of her fingertips against the keyboard was becoming—or _had_ become, her mind reminded her—an increasingly familiar sound in the small, three-walled cubicle.

The only thing keeping her awake at this point was the caffeine flowing through her bloodstream.

Elsa paused and then sighed. Her shoulders sagged as she reached for the lukewarm cup and brought it to her lips. The bitter taste of coffee spilled onto her tongue as she sat back in her chair and contemplated the numbers and figures on her screen. Even with the shadows painting her skin, her eyes still flicked over each entry with precision, checking to see if she had made any mistakes in her calculations.

_Several more hours of this and then I can go ho—_

Her cup slammed onto her desk.

There was a clatter before a head poked up from the wall next to her.

"Woah," Meg said slowly, eyes widening. She glanced at the droplets of coffee that had dripped onto Elsa's desk and then back at the blonde. "I know the coffee around here taste like hot water shit Elsa, but I don't think it's worth getting violent about."

Elsa groaned and buried her face in her hands, mumbling, "I _wish _it was just the coffee." She rubbed her temples and leaned back in her chair, staring at the ceiling. Her eyelids dropped and the familiar sensation of fatigue settled over her limbs.

_I really wish it was._

Another head, on her other side this time, peeked out. The short man had a crop of black hair and large, dark eyes. He struggled to see over the cubicle wall, but she noticed the clear concern on his face.

Elsa smiled faintly and curled her fingers in a small wave.

"You alright Elsa?" he asked, brow furrowing. He braced his arms along the wall and smiled slightly. "Want a warm hug?"

"No thank you Olaf," Elsa said softly. She lightly clasped her hands together, staring at the spaces between them. She couldn't voice the fact that she didn't want to be touched at all today. Or any other day really. She dug her nails into her skin.

"Then do you want more coffee?" Meg quipped, already reaching down over her wall and snatching up Elsa's cup. "You could use it. You're—"

"Dead on my feet," Elsa interrupted. She shot the brunette a smirk when Meg gave her an annoyed look at being cut off. The blonde smoothed down her skirt and tipped her head back, groaning when she felt an ache in her neck. "No amount of coffee is going to cure this dreadful atmosphere."

"That's just the weasel's preferred office spray." Meg wrinkled her nose. "Whatever the fuck it is."

Elsa gave a short, dry laugh. She closed her eyes and placed a hand over them, nerves relaxing at the momentary darkness.

"Coffee won't help, but some actual sleep will."

Elsa stiffened in her chair. Her stomach twisted at the tone in her coworker's voice. "Olaf," she began, not taking her hand off her face, "now really isn't a good time for this."

"Good time for what?"

Elsa tore her hand away and whirled around in her seat, shoulders tensing. Meg and Olaf turned their heads sharply to the side, taking in the newcomer.

The man before them was well over their height, his barrel chest covered in a pressed red shirt and black tie. He had biceps the size of Elsa's computer tower with pectorals and thighs to match. The man's dark hair was slicked back and tied neatly into a low ponytail and his blue eyes shone with a large amount of self-assurance.

Gaston Belmont would have been a handsome man if not for the leering smirk on his face.

Elsa hardened her jaw, gripping the armrests of her seat. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Meg curl her nose subtly and Olaf frown.

"Gaston," she said slowly. "What a pleasant surprise to see you."

Gaston's smirk turned into a grin and he brandished a folder in front of him. "I don't think it should count as a surprise to see me Elsa," he purred and the blonde mentally shuddered. "After all, we do work in the same office."

"Unfortunately," Meg grumbled under her breath.

Olaf shot her a look and the brunette clamped her mouth shut. Elsa cleared her throat and took the papers from Gaston, glancing at him briefly before opening the folder and beginning to flip through it. She noticed his grin widen and refrained from visibly gagging.

"I'm assuming these are things Mr. Weselton wants me to look at?" she asked, voice low and clipped. She thumbed a page and frowned, already calculating how long she would have to stay overtime to take care of any additional duties.

_Long enough that Anna will probably be asleep by the time I get home._

Her stomach twisted at the underlying relief she felt from the thought.

"You know…"

Gaston's voice sounded close by and when Elsa lifted her head, she jerked the folder in her lap and pressed it tightly to her chest at seeing him right next to her. He winked and crossed his arms right behind his back.

"I _could_ help you with any additional stuff you have left to do." He leaned in close to her face and she could smell the abundance of mint on his breath. "I've noticed you've been working late more often. Thought I'd offer," Gaston waggled an eyebrow and Elsa squirmed, "my _services._"

_Anna—_

A hand grabbed a fistful of Gaston's shirt and he was tugged back roughly.

Elsa started as Meg glared up at the broad man. Olaf squeezed in between the two and scurried to her side. She tensed when he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Can it Belmont," Meg growled. "Don't you have someone _else _to bother?"

Gaston's smile vanished and his lips curled downwards. He plucked Meg's hand from his shoulder easily and stared down his nose at her. "You seem to be under the impression I was _bothering _Elsa here, Megara."

Elsa twitched and clutched the folder tightly.

_You are bothering me. __**Everything **__is bothering me._

"I can help you with your work later Elsa," Olaf whispered in her ear, patting her shoulder gently. Her muscles twitched under his gentle hand, but she didn't pry away from his grip.

"Yeah, she really appreciates your oversprayed, cologne-stenched ass," Meg hissed, crossing her arms.

The leer finally vanished from Gaston's face and he mirrored Meg's position, towering over her. "I think," he grunted, all false pleasantries gone from his voice, "Elsa here is capable of speaking for herself." He glanced at her and she gritted her teeth together. "Isn't that right?"

_Yes I am and I don't have time for any of this. I barely have time enough for my own—_

Everything seemed to burst around her in a clatter.

"Listen here you little shit," Meg hissed.

"_Excuse _me?" Gaston growled.

"I think we all just need to settle this over a nice cup of frapuccino," Olaf started.

"_I shouldn't have bugged you."_

"Enough!" Elsa spat. She shut her eyes tightly and flung her hands to her ears, trying to drown out the excessive noise. Anna's stunned expression flashed through her mind's eye and her insides coiled tightly. "I can finish this fine on my own!" She felt Olaf tense beside her and knew Meg was already turning to comfort her. "So _please_," she said, recoiling from their hands because she couldn't stand it.

"_I didn't mean for it to turn out like this."_

The irritation drained out of her body like water from a tap. Her earlier fatigue came back in full force. "Just let me work in peace," Elsa mumbled, shielding her eyes.

For a long, tense moment she thought her coworkers would continue.

Then she heard Gaston snort and mutter something under his breath before his footsteps stomped away. Olaf's hand slipped from her shoulder and she sagged in her seat.

"Elsa," Meg sounded cautious and it sent her nerves racing under her skin, "this is more than the coffee and the crappy work hours isn't it?"

The blonde sighed and her hands dropped from her face. She pushed her chair back in front of her computer, staring at the screen dejectedly. The folder still lay on her lap and its light weight seemed to dig into her legs.

"You can tell us you know," Olaf said. She glanced briefly over her shoulder and saw him grin, extending his arms out. "We've got plenty of warm hugs to spare!"

Elsa stared back at her screen. The lack of restful sleep made her eyelids droop. The hands on her wristwatch ticked, continuing to count down the remaining time of her work hours.

Her breath came out slow and her chin dropped to her chest. "We had a fight," she whispered.

Meg and Olaf glanced to each other, confused.

"Sort of," she added, biting her lip.

"We?" Meg quirked an eyebrow at her.

"I know none of us get along all that well with Gaston exactly, but I don't know if I'd call it a fight," Olaf said. "More like a _biiiig_ misunderstanding."

"No, not him," Elsa grumbled. She dug her nails into her skirt. "An—" she stiffened and knew Meg and Olaf were giving her strange looks. "My sister and I. We fought earlier this morning."

_I wonder if she's still hurting._

"Oh," her coworkers said.

Elsa grimaced at the simultaneous reaction. Was she that predictable at what was bothering her?

"Well, lots of siblings fight." Meg shrugged and leaned against her cubicle wall. "What's the big deal?"

_The big deal is that we're __**always **__fighting. _Elsa's lower lip trembled as she placed the folder on her desk and sifted through it. She resumed typing, muttering, "It's been a few days since she's moved and we haven't," her fingers paused briefly and her head throbbed, "exactly seen eye to eye."

"When was the last time you talked?" Olaf asked.

Elsa winced. Her hands itched, the urge to fiddle with her braid strong. "I don't...really remember," the blonde admitted. Her cheeks flushed and guilt sunk in her stomach. She was sure the last time she and Anna had spoken had been on her younger sister's birthday.

_At least I hope it was._

"Well just give her a warm hug when you get home!" Olaf chirped. "A good hug is always appreciated."

Meg rolled her eyes. "That actually requires Elsa to go home." The brunette fixed her with a stern look. "Come on Elsa, you can't keep avoiding whatever," she gestured with one hand, "_this_ is."

_But that requires me actually knowing what to say to her._

Elsa sighed and buried her face into her hands again. She felt Olaf rub her shoulder once more. Elsa blinked and felt a headache begin to pound in her temples. "I don't know what to do."

* * *

The cold that washed over her when she stepped into the convenience store was probably the best thing Anna had felt since landing in LA. The smell of donuts, coffee, junk food, and snacks was glorifying.

The redhead inhaled shakily before ducking right into the aisles, sneakers squeaking along the tiled floor as she hurried to the beverages.

"Good ol' fashion H2O," Anna said, grinning sweetly as she grabbed a water bottle from a compartment. The brisk air that washed over her made her pause briefly. "God, that feels great." Anna shut it carefully and walked more slowly towards the snack section, basking in the air conditioning. _I should check to see if we have air conditioning at home._

Her sneakers skidded to a halt in front of the chips and donuts.

Anna bit her lip and nibbled it as the hairs on the back of her neck rose. She pretended it was just the sudden change in temperature. She had been walking around LA's streets for the past couple of hours, mentally checking which streets were which and where certain ones were.

Even though a part of her brain nagged and nagged at her that she might not even return to this part of the city before her summer vacation ended and she would be preoccupied with classes at her university.

_I'm not making excuses._

Anna sighed and moved to grab a bag of chips when a buzzing started in her back pocket. The redhead jumped and scrambled to retrieve her phone.

_Wait, what? Who'd be calling me—_

Elsa's name and number flashed across the lock screen.

Anna froze and this time she couldn't deny it and say it was the cold air from the store's AC washing over her. She gripped her phone tight and clenched her jaw as she swiped the screen.

Her stomach dropped when she saw it wasn't a call from Elsa at all.

_Text message from work I guess. _Anna flicked through it and her brow furrowed at the short message.

_"Will be home late. Don't wait up."_

"Of course," she grumbled. She was about to put her phone away when her eyes caught the battery level. It was past halfway; in the red section. "Fuck," she hissed.

The clerk's head looked up from the register.

"You alright miss?" he asked.

Anna winced and nodded rapidly, a blush sprouting on her cheeks at her sudden outburst. She turned her back on him when he looked away, shoving her phone momentarily back in her pocket.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid," she whispered harshly to herself as she skipped over the snack section and grqbbed an apple quickly from the meager supplies they had and walked to the counter.

_I should have turned it off to save power. _

But she had been waiting on the off chance that Elsa would call her instead of the other way around.

_Guess that's what I get for playing the waiting game._

Anna pursed her lips and ducked her head when she reached the register, pushing the apple and water bottle forward. The exchange was quick and impersonal. The dollar and coins rustled together when she handed them over.

"Come again," the clerk said as she grabbed her items.

Anna blinked and twirled the apple in her hand before shooting the man a half-grin. "Thank you."

_Maybe I'll fall asleep on the bus again and land right back here._

The sunlight flared in her vision as she pushed open the door and walked right back into the traffic of Los Angeles. A wave of hot air blew over her and Anna let out a breath as she stood outside the convenience store.

"Okay," she mumbled to herself. The tiny parking lot was barren save for a car or two. She felt less self-conscious talking to herself now than she had earlier. She walked over to a curb and settled down, uncapping the water bottle and sipping from it. "First things first, figure out how to get home…"

_Obviously the obvious answer to that is to call Elsa before my phone dies._

The thought wormed its way down her back and made her curl her toes deeper into her shoes. Goosebumps crawled up her skin despite the hot sun on her shoulders. Anna pursed her lips and bit into her apple, teeth sinking roughly into the slightly overripe fruit. She chewed absentmindedly as her hand slipped down and fished out her cell phone.

The sunlight shone on the plastic, blinding her for a second and making her wince. She blinked a few times and her eyes honed in on Elsa's smiling face again.

Anna swallowed, a shiver racing down her spine. Something twisted in her stomach, coiling tightly and crawling up her chest slowly. She almost didn't want to flick the lock screen, but her sister's joyful expression was uncomfortable to look at.

She stared at her phone, frowning. Her thumb hovered over the screen. Should she call Elsa?

Anna grit her teeth and all but punched the number of Elsa's cell into her phone. She whipped it to her ear and hissed, "This is so stupid of course I should call her, I'm _lost _for fuck's sake."

Her stomach turned as the dial began to ring. She hoped Elsa wouldn't be mad.

Even though she had never been to LA in her entire life until now, the feeling that welled in her chest—a deep, aching loneliness—felt all too familiar.

She sighed and stared down at her hands, at the minute nick scars that littered her knuckles.

"Feels like I've been here before."

The hot sun bore down on her back and she smelled asphalt again on her nose. Cars zipped past and she listened to the sound of people walking by and the traffic around her. She bit into her apple again and again as she waited.

Her stomach twisted and a pang hit her in the chest. That familiar feeling hung over her. The phone rang three times before she heard a click.

_What if I just get her voicemail?_

It wouldn't be the first time.

There was static and then the sound of a keyboard before everything quieted around her. Anna tensed, the stillness unsettling.

"Anna?"

She let out the breath she hadn't known she'd been holding. Her older sister sounded confused. Not curt or disengaged like she had feared. It gave her the bit of courage she needed to push forward.

Anna cleared her throat. "Hey, Elsa, are you busy?"

"Anna, I'm currently—"

Her breath hitched and her body was already tensing for the inevitable rejection. The leftover apple core slipped from her hand. Elsa must have heard her because there was a sudden pause on the other line. Anna dug her tooth into her bottom lip to keep from blabbering. She didn't have to be next to her sister know she was frowning.

"Well," Elsa continued softly and Anna's fingers twitched at the exhaustion in her sister's voice. "I was about to head out for a quick bite to eat. What did you need?"

_What did you need?_

Anna bit the inside of her cheek so hard she tasted copper on her tongue. She stared down at her nails and played with the tip of one as she said, "I was wondering," slowly because she could feel that horrible—and disgustingly familiar—tension seeping into her skin. "If you could come and pick me up."

A sudden vertigo washed over her and she reeled as her mind played backwards. She wasn't under the bright sunshine of Los Angeles's streets anymore, but sitting on a curb outside her old middle school, listening to the rain pound on the grounds as she waited, skateboard tucked at her side.

"P-pick you up? What do you mean?"

Anna blinked several times, the edges of her eyes slightly more wet than usual. She wiped her brow and felt sweat on her forehead. It helped her remember that she wasn't back home in Pennsylvania.

"Anna, where _are _you?" Elsa's voice hardened and Anna swallowed at the edge that slipped into it. "You're at home right? Tell me this isn't another prank of yours.

Anger flashed in her blood. Anna gritted her teeth and grumbled, "No this isn't a prank. I haven't pranked anyone in years Elsa." _I wasn't the pranking type anyway, but apparently I'm the only one who thought that._

"If this is about this morning," Elsa continued, "then, look, I'm sorry about what I said. I didn't mean—"

_"Elsa,"_ Anna cut her sister off with a hiss. The other line went silent. She wanted to kick herself in the gut for her own interruption, but that feeling of something crawling along her skin was incredibly off putting. _Great job dork. You've gone and upset her anyway._ Her sister's face flashed in her mind's eyes, pale with shadows under her eyes and hair unkempt.

Not glowing with a smile and a candy kiss on her cheek.

Anna ran a hand through her hair and huffed, words starting to spill from her lips. "Okay, look. I'm lost right now. I took the bus and fell asleep during the drive. I was going to check out the campus, but—"

"You're _what?! _Where are you and what you have been up to?"

Anna jumped, eyes widening. She blinked several times. A mixture of emotions coiled inside her. She wasn't sure whether to be annoyed at Elsa asking her what she'd been doing as if she was still a teenager or to...

"God, Anna, tell me you at least have some water with you. This heat has been causing strokes for people!"

Something fluttered in her chest and she suddenly found her tongue was thick and dry; clumsy. The redhead laughed nervously and brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. A strange mixture of guilt, anxiety, and elation bubbled inside her. She had managed to worry her older sister after all, but Elsa sounded worried _for _her.

It wasn't something she was used to.

"Anna?"

Anna's shoulders twitched. She cleared her throat and hurriedly said, "I-I'm here! Sorry! Sorry, I just, uh," her free hand knocked against her water bottle and she glanced at it before picking it up and brandishing it as if Elsa could see. "I do have water! I bought some at a 7/11!"

There was a heavy sigh on the other line and she couldn't tell if it was from exasperation or relief. Anna messed with the plastic wrapping along the bottle and chewed on her bottom lip.

She _hated _causing Elsa stress. Absolutely despised it. And ever since moving in with her older sister that had been all she'd been doing to Elsa. Even if they had only spent a few days together so far.

_"It's not her fault."_

Anna swallowed down the bite and guilt rising up her windpipe. It tasted foul and the hot air made her stomach roll with nausea. Suddenly, she wished she could see her sister's face.

"Anna, tell me where you are. I'll—"

"I'm sorry."

"—get—wait, what?"

Anna blinked. She felt heat all over her body. Her lips were dry and when she licked them, they cracked under her tongue. The back of her neck was burning from the sun's rays and a flush that traveled down her spine. The soles of her shoes were warm from walking around for a long while now. Again, her eyes were wet. Wetter than usual.

Anna sniffed and then let out a shuddering breath. Fatigue seeped into her bones. "I'm sorry," she repeated.

Elsa was silent.

The redhead swallowed and clutched one of her braids. "I didn't mean to get lost. I was, uh," she cursed her stumbling and stuttering, "tired." Elsa's breath hitched on the other line and she wanted to kick herself again. Anna blinked a few more times. _God, this is so stupid. We're going back and running around in circles by this point. _"I really was just going to check out the campus." She inhaled, exhaled, and sagged on the curb.

She wished she was home.

A home that included Elsa.

"I'm sorry for being so upset last night and I know that I've been acting...weird since I got here."

The silence continued. She dug her nails into her phone. Her stomach was in knots, continuously twisting as the time stretched between them. The thick, tense atmosphere that seemed to follow her and her sister was suffocating.

_Say something. Please._

Elsa inhaled softly. Anna perked up, her own breath catching in her chest.

"You fell asleep on the bus because you were tired…"

It was such an odd way to word it. It was an _obvious _way to word it. Of course she had fallen asleep on the bus because she was tired. That was the way human nature worked. Her body had been running on comparatively disruptive sleep. The feel and sound of the bus under her feet had lulled her into a doze until she couldn't remember anything after closing her eyes.

And yet…

There was something in Elsa's voice that stopped her from making a short remark; stopped her from saying, "Yes, pay attention," or, "Of course. That's kind of what bodies do when they don't have energy."

"You were tired," Elsa whispered.

Her sister's voice was distant. The wall between them was still there. She was still miles from wherever Elsa was. It wasn't even a physical distance that she ached to cross. She squeezed her shoes together. Her lips trembled. But there was _something _in her older sister's words. Something that made her heart pound in her rib cage. It sounded as if her sister had come to a conclusion of sorts. Anna felt a tingle travel down her spine.

The image of Elsa's smiling face flashed in her mind's eye again.

"You haven't been sleeping well have you…"

_Oh, Elsa._

Her vision blurred.

Anna's expression softened and she leaned her head closer to her phone. Her lips twitched. A tiny smile curled on her mouth. "Y-yeah," she admitted, tucking a lock of hair behind her ear. "S-sorry, about," she gestured uselessly, "all this."

Elsa sighed again and when she spoke once more, her voice was closer. As if she had pressed her cell tighter to her ear. "No, that's alright. You don't have to apologize. Jet lag from the plane I guess." There was a short pause before her sister continued, stuttering, "You...you said you had water right? You've drank plenty by now right?"

_She __**is **__worried about me._

Anna released the breath she'd been holding quietly and brought her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them. The water bottle crinkled between her body and the fabric of her jeans was rough against her skin. It scratched her chin, but she didn't care at the moment.

"Yeah, I'm okay for now." She giggled and played with the end of a braid, eyes glazing over. "You know me, I'm resourceful. I did actually remember to bring cash with me this time. Since I figured I'd be out for a while."

Elsa laughed, once, and the sound was so foreign to Anna's ears she almost did a double take. It sent chills down her spine. "Yes, I distinctly remember you knowing what to do at odd hours in the day," her sister said, voice soft and light.

_You do? _

She so badly wanted to ask, but the possibility of saying the wrong thing—and she had a terrible habit of not filtering her words—stopped her from doing so.

Anna felt warmth bloom in her cheeks and down in her chest. She played with a loose thread on her jeans. "I'm sorry for interrupting you at work."

"It's fine. Like I said, I was going for a quick bite to eat anyway," Elsa said and Anna swore she heard the faintest hint of a smile in her sister's voice.

She frowned, burying her nose between her knees. "Sorry for keeping you from that lunch break."

"It's fine," Elsa whispered and the lightness was still there in her voice. "You don't have to keep apologizing. What's with you?"

The guilt burned her.

Anna bit down on her tongue. Her muscles tensed and she breathed faster against her legs. "It's just you've been so busy these past few days." She scrunched up her face. "Past few weeks I bet, actually."

There was a pause on the other line. Then, Elsa sighed and the exhaustion was back. "Don't worry about that."

_She's not telling me._

It hit her in the gut.

Anna swallowed thickly. Her fingers itched. She wanted to pry something apart.

"Did you sleep well?"

And there she went with her habit of letting words slip. Anna sorely wished she could twist her own leg and kick herself in the rear. Elsa tried to cover up her sharp inhale, but the redhead had already heard it. She frowned and her lips turned downward.

"That's a no right?"

"I—"

"Elsa," Anna started, "I know you have this whole thing about work." Did she? The thought coiled tightly in her mind. "But you've got to get some sleep."

"I've gotten enough rest this week." Her sister's response was clipped. Her walls were coming back up again. Anna could hear the door shutting.

"You were dead on your feet when I arrived," Anna pointed out. It sounded petulant to her ears, but damn it she had a point! She wasn't a teenager anymore.

"Anna—"

She felt like it though.

"I'm just worried about you," Anna whispered.

The line went silent.

Cars drove by, their tires screeching against the asphalt. The smell of smog rose into her nostrils. The heat was noticeable again. It draped over the skin of her bare arms and made a drop of sweat roll down the nape of her neck. Her eyes stung. Her vision blurred again.

Her words hung in the open air, in the tense atmosphere that seemed to permeate and follow them wherever they were.

A shuddering breath against her ear brought the vague recollection of frosty air on a winter morning.

"Oh, _Anna_."

Anna inhaled sharply, a strange mixture of cold and heat seizing her body. Her cheeks warmed at the way Elsa whispered her name and yet a nauseating chill grabbed a hold of her.

"I didn't mean to—I mean, I'm sorry for w-worrying you, but I..."

And just like that, she heard her older sister again. A smile teased at the edge of Anna's lips. She shut her eyes and leaned her head on her knees, a giggle bubbling in her chest.

"You're laughing at me," Elsa said, huffing.

Anna bit her lip. "I'm not," she said. She tried to keep the teasing edge from her voice. She knew her sister was opening her mouth to retort. "Did you get something to eat?"

Elsa spluttered on the other end, obviously surprised at being cut off. "I-I...what? Er..." The redhead heard something crinkle over the phone. "Uh, yes. I got something from the vending machine. It's—"

"Chocolate," Anna said without thinking.

"Huh?"

She felt breathless all of a sudden.

"You bought a chocolate bar."

"Yes," Elsa mumbled and her older sister sounded equally breathless. "I—"

"Love chocolate."

She heard a hitch of breath. Anna felt the words catch in her throat. Her heart pounded in her rib cage. It roared in her ears. The sun beat down on her and she gripped her phone so tightly her knuckles turned white.

"Y-yeah," Elsa admitted. The redhead blinked a few times, trying to dry her eyes. "Did you get something to eat too?"

"Mhm," Anna hummed. She picked up her apple core and swung it between her fingers. "Apple." She narrowed eyes playfully. "Unlike Miss Slim and Blonde here, some of us have to watch our figure."

Elsa snorted. "You have the metabolism of a jackrabbit."

Anna snorted. Laughed. Giggled really.

The sun felt less harsh on her skin.

She heard a crunch on the other end and then a soft, contented sigh.

_She still likes chocolate._

Anna tilted her head up and stared at the sky. It was slowly turning orange and pink. She tried to swallow down the lump in her throat, but it just bobbed up and down.

She felt close to Elsa, even as she sat on the curb in front of a quiet convenience store while Elsa was at her workplace, surrounded by others typing away at their desks, having coffee, or speaking with other coworkers.

But Elsa wasn't doing any of that.

Elsa had picked up her phone. It hadn't gone to her voicemail. Elsa—her older sister who she didn't really know—had picked up her phone and was speaking to her.

They felt closer.

They weren't talking right now, but they felt closer.

It was the third day since she had arrived in sunny, smoggy Los Angeles and finally, they felt _closer!_

The buzz next to her made her jump.

Anna tore her phone from her head and stared at the screen. The warning message that her battery was at five percent stared back at her.

_Crap I forgot this thing was dying!_

Anna scrambled with her phone, jaw dropping when she saw the call had ended.

"And you made me hang up on Elsa!" she whined, furiously redialing her sister's number. "Of all the stupid times," Anna growled, "for something to interrupt us."

The phone had barely rung once before she heard a click.

"Elsa, sorry about that, I—"

"Are you okay?"

Anna blinked, stilling. There was an edge to her sister's voice. Something almost frantic even when it was still soft. "Yeah," Anna mumbled, a faint smile on her lips. "I'm okay."

A sigh caressed her ear. "I'm glad."

The sun was starting to set.

"Just my phone is dying," Anna chuckled.

"Oh, then I'm—what?"

Anna stiffened. Elsa's voice faded somewhat.

"I—no, sir. I wasn't—" She heard the sound of ruffling, but could only pick out the words "my sister," and "break." She guessed Elsa had clamped her hand over the phone.

Anna blinked and drew her knees in tighter. "Elsa?" she started slowly. Her stomach twisted as she continued to hear muffled talking over the phone. "Hey, you there?"

Nothing.

The nauseating chill from before returned.

Anna dug her nails into her jeans. "Hey, Elsa, I—"

Then her sister was back again, speaking curtly over the phone. "I'm going to call Kristoff and ask him to pick you up."

It was such a rapid and startling change that it left her gaping like a fish. "I- wait, what? I thought you were going to come get me."

"Anna, I can't." The exasperation was in the blonde's voice again. "I have work I need to get back to. And now my boss saw me being distracted so I can't come."

Anna clamped her jaw shut.

_How many times am I going to be back in the spot?_

"What street are you on?"

Elsa's voice was unfathomably polite. Not at all like the light and soft tone it had been earlier.

Anna blinked. She turned her head to stare at the street sign. Within her vision she caught a glimpse of the setting sun.

"I'm—"

The conversation was a blur to her after that.

Elsa mumbled a quick goodbye before she hung up.

* * *

The honk of a horn made her look up.

Anna blinked and inhaled sharply when she saw a familiar minivan park in front of the convenience store. She pocketed her phone and stood up, brushing her jeans as a blonde head poked out.

"You're a sight for sore eyes," Kristoff said, looking her up and down. She laughed once and gave him a half-wave, a sheepish smile on her face. He frowned, eyes narrowing. She stiffened, wondering if he had noticed the tear tracks. "You're probably going to need a shower when we get back."

Anna balked and glared at him, lower lip jutting out in a pout. "I don't think I stink." She angled her head and tried to take a whiff of her shirt as discreetly as she could. Her nose wrinkled and she slumped a bit. "Not that much anyway," she mumbled.

Kristoff just smirked and unlocked the passenger, jerking his head towards it. "Get in."

Anna's expression softened and she smiled slightly. She grabbed her water bottle from the curb, chucking the apple core towards the trash can, and hopped into his car. Her smile widened when the heat of the sun died away under the perfect temperature of Kristoff's minivan.

"Thanks for this," Anna said, buckling her seat in.

"Don't mention it," Kristoff replied as he began to back out of the small parking lot and onto the street. "I owe Elsa a favor anyway."

Anna glanced at him, rolling her water bottle in her hands. Her brow furrowed and she bit her lip. "I thought you picking me up from the airport would have counted as repaying her."

"Well, think of that as repaying her fifty percent and this as repaying her the remaining amount." He stopped at a red light and grabbed a bottle, holding it out to her. "Thirsty? Yours is empty."

Anna made a face, but took it from him. "You didn't drink from it did you? Because that would be ew."

Kristoff snorted and shifted back into gear. "No, I only share my spit with Sven."

"Ew!"

He laughed and she gagged. Anna hesitantly untwisted the bottle and took a sip. Relief flowed through her at the taste of cool, fresh water. She downed half of it in a few gulps.

Anna sighed and sunk into her seat, shooting the blonde man a small smile. "Thanks again," she said and the entire day's frustration melted away.

He glanced at her, eyebrow quirked up at her tone. "Like I said, don't mention it." He shrugged and stared back at the road. "It's no big deal."

Anna hesitated before mumbling, "It is to me. My sister asked you to do something for her and you agreed." That Elsa had even gone to anyone for help was a marvel to her.

Kristoff frowned at her, but she looked out the window instead of meeting his gaze. Her chest ached and she absentmindedly fingered one of her braids.

"You and your sister really don't get along well do you?"

Anna jumped and whirled around to face him, teal eyes the size of dinner plates. "What? What makes you think that?" She glared at him, hands tightening into fist. "That's a huge assumption to make."

Especially considering that a while ago they _had _been.

Kristoff stared at her. Anna felt a lump rise in her throat.

"_What did you need?"_

She sagged and stared down at her hands. "Yeah," she admitted, feeling tears prick the edges of her eyes. She wiped them away furiously. _Don't cry in front of someone you don't know, you big baby._

"Why's that?" Kristoff asked, looking away from her. He didn't comment on the crack in her voice.

Anna chuckled and stared at the late evening sun. She could hear Elsa's laughter in her ears as she pressed a kiss to her sister's cheek, cherry and snow on her tongue.

She could hear the remnants of her sister's gentle voice as she guessed correctly that her sister still loved chocolate.

She could hear the walls coming back up as their conversation ended, heard the door click shut.

The ache in her chest deepened.

"Well, I'm not exactly winning any awards for best little sister of the year."

* * *

_But oh, I'm staring at the mess I made_


End file.
